Thursday August 18 2016

Ponteland Residents to Benefit From Investment in Local Power Network

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News Release

Residents in Ponteland are set to benefit from a £1 million investment in their local power network.

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the network which delivers electricity to homes and businesses across the region, appointed Clancy Docwra Limited to complete the improvement works which started in May. The company is installing 7.5 kilometres of 20,000 volt underground cable to improve reliability of supply, replacing the overhead power lines that currently deliver power to Ponteland.

Alister Gregory, Project Engineer at Northern Powergrid, said: “This £1 million investment in Ponteland’s power network is great news for our customers. We’re significantly upgrading the power supply, installing 7.5 kilometres of underground cable, to ensure the network is less vulnerable to severe weather; improving continuity and reliability of supply to the area. The overhead power lines which currently supply Ponteland will remain in place and act as a backup supply.

“We’re also installing 3 kilometres of 11,000 volt underground cable to interconnect Ponteland’s power network with Newcastle Airport Primary substation further increasing the resilience of the power supply. A fibre optic cable will give our control room the ability to switch the power network remotely if a fault occurs on the network, significantly reducing the length of power cuts.

“As with any construction work there will be some disruption to traffic whilst the work is carried out, however we’re making every effort to minimise the impact. Where possible our contractors are using trenchless technology to install ducts and cabling with reinstatement work carried out as quickly as possible.

“We hope that residents and commuters will bear with us while we make this significant investment to ensure that Ponteland has a reliable, resilient and robust power supply for many years to come.”

Northern Powergrid’s contractor Clancy Docwra has been installing the new cable along the A696 with work due to start on the 22 August along Cheviot View. The route crosses the River Pont, following the road to the Junction with Darras Road, before turning left and heading into Ponteland South substation, which is located opposite NatWest Bank.

The electricity distribution company is committed to keeping customers updated throughout the construction period, which is due to be completed by mid-march next year, and has directly contacted residents who live along the A696 route.

Courtesy boards will remain on site during all phases of the construction. The work will not affect residents power supplies, however anyone with a general enquiry about the planned work can contact Clancy Docwra’s 24 hour helpline on 0800 634 5944 or Northern Powergrid’s customer care team on 0800 298 7769 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm); email cus.serv@northernpowergrid.com.