28 March 2006 00:00 Central Networks invests £150,000 into Hereford’s electricity network, some traffic disruption necessary

Electricity distribution company Central Networks is investing £150,000 into major improvements to the power network in Hereford to improve the reliability of power supply to more than 3,000 customers.

The work will benefit homes and businesses in Bobblestock and Aylesbrook, as well as in parts of Moor Park and King’s Acre Road.

Around 1.5km of underground cable will be laid to replace the overhead lines that currently supply this area to make the system more robust in times of bad weather, especially high winds, when debris can be blown onto lines.

Phil Felton, Planning Engineer with Central Networks, said: “This project will ensure that the existing service becomes even better, but it will, unfortunately, also mean some disruption for road users while we lay the new cable.

“We want to apologise for this inconvenience but I can assure local people that we’ll be doing everything we can to limit the disruption, including downing tools during rush hour and limiting the work to stretches of just 50m at a time.”

The local primary substation will also undergo a major refurbishment as part of this improvement project.

Following consultation with Hereford council and the Highways Authority, excavation work to lay the cables is due to begin on 3 April. It is expected to take eight to 10 weeks and will start on the A4103 Roman Road, but will also affect Aylesbrook Road and Sandown Drive.

Disruption is being kept to a minimum for users of these roads through the use of the latest trenchless technology wherever possible, reducing the need to excavate all of the cable’s planned route.

Additionally, no more than 50m will be dug up at any one time, and work will only be undertaken between 9am and 3.30pm to avoid disrupting rush hour traffic.

This project forms just part of a five-year £1.2bn investment being made by Central Networks, a company of E.ON UK, into the electricity distribution network across central England.

Ends

Notes to editors:
•Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity. The company brings power to 4.9 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables – enough to go round the Earth almost four times – and via almost 97,000 substations;
•Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For further information contact:
Rebecca Middleton on 024 7642 5779
A selection of Central Networks pictures is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and looking under Distribution