A major investment programme that will modernise the electricity network in Dumfries and Galloway is also set to help transform one of the region’s most impressive natural beauty spots.
We are investing £1.2 million to remove five kilometres of overhead power lines and replace them with underground cable in the Gatehouse of Fleet area.
The essential work will improve the resilience of the electricity network for customers across the region, while further enhancing the natural beauty of the area, which is usually popular among tourists and walkers.
The work will take four months from July to early November to complete in the Fleet Valley, near the B796 Gatehouse of Fleet to Creetown Road. The 33,000 volt overhead line will be replaced by 8.5 kilometres of underground cable.
The challenging logistics of work to replace the overhead lines and poles will involve the implementation of temporary traffic measures and road diversions. These will move location on the B796 as the project progresses with every measure put in place to keep disruption for locals to a minimum.
Iain Steele, District General Manager for Dumfries and Galloway, said: “The Fleet Valley is a popular beauty spot and we’re taking the opportunity – as part of the essential reinforcement works – to modernise our network in a way that will further enhance the area’s natural appeal and help boost the local tourism economy.
“The work we’re carrying out is critical to ensuring the continued delivery of a reliable, consistent and safe electricity supply which the community relies upon. We have worked hard to engage with the local community and other stakeholders throughout the planning process and local representatives will be on site during the works to help answer any queries people may have.
“We know that – through these challenging times – it’s been crucial to have a safe and consistent power supply to keep us connected with friends and family and that’s what these improvement works will ensure.
“We appreciate the temporary measures put in place to enable these works will likely cause some disruption, but we will make every effort to keep this to a minimum and we thank local people for the patience and cooperation. Investing in our customers and the communities we work in now will ensure we can all enjoy a better future, quicker and ensure Dumfries and Galloway residents will benefit from a resilient energy network for years to come.”
SP Energy Networks will perform the critical work in line with COVID-19 lockdown rules and safety guidelines set out by the government.
The company is continuously investing in the Dumfries and Galloway network which also improves the resilience of the energy supply during extreme weather conditions.