£1.7 million-pound project to upgrade Wilmslow’s power network
£1.7 million-pound project to upgrade Wilmslow’s power network
More than 22,000 homes and business in Wilmslow, Handforth, Chelford and Alderley are set to benefit from a £1.7m upgrade to the local power network.
Engineers from Electricity North West, the region’s power network operator, are replacing 5km of underground electricity cables between Alderley and Wilmslow to help power the area on for years to come.
The essential project will replace faulty oil-filled cables which have been in place for around 60 years, with new environmentally-friendly and efficient cables.
John Pietsch, South Operations Transmission Manager, for Electricity North West, said: “We’re proud to be investing almost £2m in the local community to ensure 22,000 customers enjoy a reliable supply of power which we all take for granted every day.
“Power cuts are thankfully rare, but as these cables were first installed in the 1960s it’s vital we upgrade them now and replace a faulty cable, so we continue to deliver an excellent, safe and affordable service to all our customers across the region.
“It’s an investment of around £1 per property per year to keep power flowing for at least another 60 years, so it’s great to be delivering such value for such an essential service to the local area.”
The work, which has been agreed by Cheshire East Council, started on 24 July and will take approximately 17 weeks. Electricity North West has adapted the traffic plan in response to feedback from key stakeholders and the project is on track and will still be completed on schedule.
The work on Cliff Road in Wilmslow will start from approximately 7 August with a road closure for approximately three weeks and will continue through Chancel Lane and Church Street under two way traffic lights. Work will continue along Hawthorn Lane where there will be a one way closure and the duration of this work will be completed within approximately six weeks.
Styal Road is planned be closed for 12 weeks from mid-September. Road signs will be in place and customers will be notified. A full diversion route will be clearly signposted and traffic will be monitored.
Temporary traffic lights and road closures will be in place to allow engineers to safely carry out the work. Where there are road closures access to properties will be maintained.
The National Trust’s Quarry Bank is open for business throughout the project as are all local businesses. For the diversion route and more information see this map and the Cheshire East Council website.
If customers have any queries about the project, they can call Electricity North West 24/7 on the new national free number 105, or 0800 195 4141 or follow @ElectricityNW.