Our multi-million-pound upgrade gets underway this year; boosting the power supply to future proof the electricity network for homes and businesses in the Melksham and Norrington areas.
We will begin working on the Norrington Phase 2B project, which is part of a wider effort to strengthen the local electricity network across Wiltshire, supporting future energy needs in the area.
This phase involves:
Installing the final section of a high-voltage cable between Westland Lane and Melksham Grid Supply Point
Upgrading equipment at both Norrington and Melksham substations
Where are we working?
We will be working in the road from Norrington to Melksham, starting from Corsham Road as per Local Highways Authority permission.
Our teams will then continue working in Melksham, from Melksham National Grid site to Norrington Substation.
We will update this page with details of the continuing programme as works progress. Please note, dates are subject to change and permissions from the Local Highways Authority.
Environmental and Road Conditions
Our delivery partner, Aureos, has conducted a number of surveys to ensure that the impact of our work will be kept to a minimum along the full route.
Our team has worked closely with the local council highways authority to ensure that we are working collaboratively with other utility companies, while minimising disruption to local traffic flow wherever possible.
Keeping in touch
We understand these works may cause some disruption and noise, but we will follow industry best practices to ensure we do everything to minimise any inconvenience.
We will write in sequence to residents and businesses on each road that is affected, to ensure that residents and businesses are kept up-to-date with the progress of our work and the traffic management measures we will have in place.
There are no planned Power Supply Interruptions (PSI) scheduled to take place during the works, but anyone who has concerns about vulnerability during power cuts should register for our Priority Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
The route chosen is the most direct and therefore the most economical route. As a Statutory Undertaker, SSEN has the right to install/maintain their plant and equipment within the Public Highway under the Highways Act of 1980. There are no rights to install/maintain plant and equipment within private property without the consent of the landowners.
In areas where space for cables is limited, especially in urban areas, underground laying of cables is an efficient way of maintaining the energy needs of a community. Electricity is transmitted from one point to another, using cables laid in an underground system, instead of the cables hanging from poles and towers. Underground cables are not visible to the naked eye.
The method is called trenching and involves a trench digging in the public highway and laying new pipework (ducts) that will accommodate the cables. The trenches will be dug in stages by our contractor, with the traffic management measures in place moving sequentially with our working area.
Once the ducting is in place, we return to open trenches at intervals along the route to pull cable through the ducts and connect them in what is called a joint bay. Once completed, we thoroughly test everything and then is it ready to be energised.
Our working hours are Monday to Friday 7am-5pm. We may require weekend working, and if so, our working hours will be Saturday 8am-5pm, and Sunday 9am-4pm. Working hours are dependent on the weather and conditions.
Please note, our operatives will arrive earlier on site, however this will be for non-noisy work and to attend the daily safety briefing. We will finish any noisy work at 4:30pm, but you may see us cleaning up 30 minutes after.
Where our works affect bus stops, these stops will be closed, and we will request that a temporary stop be located within a short walk of the original location.
Yes.
Access to properties will be un-effected, please contact Amy Welbourn for further information if you require: amy.welbourn@aureos.com.
Residents, blue light services and the council’s waste collection service can all still use the road, they just need to adhere to any traffic management or road closures in the section of the road where the team is working.
