Homes and businesses in and around Dorchester are set to benefit from a £2m investment from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
Work is now under wayon the construction of a new substation which will increase the reliability of supplies to 12,000 existing domestic and business customers, and will also help meet the increasing demand for new connections to the local electricity network.
An essential part of this £2m project is the demolition of the old Fire station night club in Trinity Street, which will be the site of the new substation. The demolition and ground clearance work will last around 12 weeks, with the construction and energisation of the new substation set to be completed by the end of 2017.
For the safety of pedestrians, commuters and everyone working on site, protective hoardings will be around the work area when the demolition work is carried out, and this will mean a temporary pavement closure, and also a temporary re-location of the bus stop.
Duncan Black, SSEN's Project Manager, explains more about the work that will be done and how it will benefit the local community: "We are committed to doing everything we can to give our customers the best service possible, and this £2m project will go a long way to providing the local communities with a safe, robust and reliable supply of electricity for many years to come. The existing substation in Trinity Street is approaching the end of its natural lifespan, and with the increasing demand for electricity in the Dorchester area, this essential work will see us upgrade all of the equipment that feeds the local community and minimise the risk of power cuts."