A £2.49 million upgrade project by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to boost the resilience of the power supply to an area of the busy coastal town of Bournemouth is now under way.

Starting in early March 2022 - and running until December of the same year - the programme of works to future-proof the network for homes and businesses in the Victoria Park area of Bournemouth will see SSEN replace the underground cable running between the two substations located at East Howe and Victoria Park. By introducing 2.2 kilometres of more modern and efficient cabling, the upgrade to the infrastructure will serve the needs of the area’s 11,500 customers for many years to come. 

In addition to the replacement and upgrade of existing infrastructure, the distribution operator will also upgrade connections at the associated substations. This investment in the latest technology will ensure the strength of Victoria Park’s power network, keeping power flowing to those living and working in the area and helping them meet their net zero goals with an infrastructure fit for the future. 

The nature of these works will mean that some sections of the upgrade will require temporary traffic management systems. These will be planned by SSEN in association with Highways England and local authorities, with any customers in the vicinity being notified in advance. Details of these traffic systems will also be available on SSEN’s Victoria Park to East Howe project page. 

SSEN’s Project Manager, Peter Davies said: 

“My team and I are delighted to be working on this project, which will provide a robust network for those who live and work here; suiting their needs now and in the future as they look to adopt low carbon technologies, such as electric vehicles. 

“This programme of works over a nine month period delivers a substantial boost to the network and SSEN will work to ensure the impact of this upgrade on local homes and businesses will be as minimal as possible. 

“Throughout these works, SSEN will look to update customers in the immediate vicinity of the works, and I would like to assure them that we will be carrying out the upgrade with no disruption to the power supply of our customers.” 

SSEN’s investment in this area of Bournemouth will ensure a power supply that suits the needs of residents now and in to the future. By upgrading this section of the local infrastructure, SSEN is helping its customers to achieve their decarbonisation ambitions; so as more of them turn to low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, they have a supply and network that’s fit for purpose.

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Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

We are the electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) responsible for delivering power to over 3.8 million homes and businesses across central southern England and the north of Scotland. We serve some of the most diverse and unique geographies across the UK, and keep customers and communities connected whilst developing the flexible electricity network vital to achieving net zero.