Boost to Plymouth power network

A £1m investment programme to improve power supplies for customers in the North of Plymouth is due to start on 2 February. 

Western Power Distribution (WPD), the electricity distributor for the region, will be carrying out the project, which sees the reinforcement and upgrade of electrical apparatus and 11kV cables totalling 9,000 metres.

Plymouth team manager Lee Duke said: “Demand for electricity has increased in Plymouth from both domestic and commercial customers. This work is essential to ensure we continue to provide a high level of service in the future by improving the infrastructure and the security of our network.

“We have consulted Plymouth City Council to identify the best way to minimise disruption to transport, businesses, local residents and public services while this important work is taking place. The route we have agreed is the least disruptive of the options available to us and I thank residents and businesses in advance for their patience. We have also contacted customers in the affected area via letter with an advanced warning of the works. 

“The scheme will see the excavation and laying of replacement cable in 200 metre sections. Excavations will be from the entrance to Dennis Camp Road, along Southway Lane, across the George Junction and finishing at an electricity substation on Plymbridge Road, just past Darklake View.

“A rolling programme of temporary traffic lights will be necessary while the scheme is in progress. To reduce disruption further, most of the work will take place between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday and out of hours where required.

The project is expected to take about six months to complete. The project forms part of our commitment to deliver a consistently high level of customer service. We invests about £900 million in our network every year.

We are driving the achievement of net zero across our regions by 2028 by creating a smart and flexible network. It is critical that we are able to free up network capacity in the right areas so our customers can be confident that, when they wish to connect low carbon technologies such as heat pumps or electric vehicles they can, at an affordable and timely rate. In our recently published business plan we have revealed how investment projects like this one will enable us to transform the network and keep bills broadly flat for our customers.