Work to place overhead power lines underground in Ashton Under Hill has reached a milestone, with more than half of the £250,000 scheme by Central Networks now complete.

Almost 1.5km of overhead lines have now been replaced with 3km of underground cables.

It's not just overhead where engineers have been making a difference. By using innovative ‘mole' technology a whole section of cable was laid under Ashton's cricket pitch - and all without a blade of grass being disturbed.

The technology allows engineers to bore a tunnel under the ground running up to 100 metres long, so there is no need to dig long trenches in roads, pavements or even sports fields.

Trevor Doyle is managing the project for Central Networks. He said:  "Laying this new cable over the cricket pitch could have presented us with a real ‘sticky wicket' of a problem but we were able to use one of these ‘moles' to help reduce the impact of our excavations.

"It's a bit like performing keyhole surgery - there's very little disruption involved.

"We hope people will soon be noticing the benefit of this work, not just visually but also because they'll enjoy an even more secure power supply.

"There'll be some disruption when the final phase of work takes place, because we'll need to close some roads to work safely. We apologise for that but this really is the only way we can do our job in a timely and safe manner."

Work began on the project last year in June and is being carried out in a number of phases to minimise disruption. As well as improving the look of the village the scheme will also strengthen the power supply in the area for the future. 

The final phase of the work in the village centre will take place over summer so that the necessary road closures will impact as few people as possible, including the nearby school.

The project has been welcomed by villagers, with many commenting on how well the restitution work - which involves replacing the earth, pavement and road surface that needs to be dug up - has been carried out. 

Villager David Hancock, who championed the project, said: "The overhead power lines and telephone cables were identified by a high proportion of the villagers as something which, if removed, would improve the look of the village which is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has a conservation area.

"The contractors' reinstatement has been first class. The footpaths and roads have been returned to as they were before and the grass verges have grown back remarkably quickly."

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Central Networks, provides a reliable supply to 9.5 million people in central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables - enough to go round the Earth more than three times - and via almost 94,000 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:

Alisha Allen on 02476 192 063