09 August 2006 00:00 Central Networks invests £180,000 into Shrewsbury’s electricity network, some traffic disruption necessary

Electricity distribution company Central Networks, a company of E.ON, is investing £180,000 to boost power supplies in Shrewsbury and make a good service even better.

The work will benefit homes and businesses in Meole Brace and Nobold and includes the laying of 1.5km of underground cable to replace the overhead lines that currently supply this area.

This will make the power supply more secure in times of bad weather, especially high winds when debris can be blown onto lines.

Phil Felton, Planning Engineer with Central Networks, said: “We’re investing significantly in the area’s electricity network to ensure our customers continue to receive an excellent service.

“The cabling work that we’re carrying out over the next few months will improve the reliability of the electricity supply but will also mean some disruption to local road users over the next few weeks.

“We’d obviously like to apologise for this inconvenience and ask motorists to bear with us while we carry out this essential work.”


Following consultation with the Shrewsbury County Council and the Highways Agency, work to lay the cables at Hereford road (A49) is due to begin on Tuesday 29 August to avoid disruption to holiday traffic and will take approximately 3 weeks.

Disruption is being kept to a minimum where ever possible and no more than 50m of the road will be excavated at any one time. Work will also only be carried out between 9am and 3.30pm to avoid disrupting travellers during rush hour.

Next year the local substation at Bayston Hill will undergo a major refurbishment as part of the programme of works.

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:
Ellie King on 02476 183678
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