Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) began work in early March 2022 on a £2.49 million upgrade to electricity infrastructure in the Victoria Park area of Bournemouth, the company announced on 9 March 2022. The programme runs until December 20221.
The work will see SSEN replace the underground cable running between the substations at East Howe and Victoria Park, introducing 2.2 kilometres of more modern and efficient cabling. SSEN states the upgrade will serve the needs of the area's 11,500 customers for many years to come, and that connections at the associated substations will also be upgraded1.
SSEN describes itself as 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 Scotland1. Its Electricity Distribution Networks and the Move to DSOs explain the role such operators play in the local network.
Some sections of the work will require temporary traffic management, planned by SSEN with Highways England and local authorities, with customers in the vicinity notified in advance1.
"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."
SSEN said the investment will keep power flowing to those living and working in the area and help them meet their net zero goals with infrastructure fit for the future1.
Why it matters for households
The cable being replaced sits between two substations that feed homes and businesses in Victoria Park. SSEN states the work will be carried out with no disruption to the power supply of its customers1, so households in the area should not expect interruptions as a result of the project itself.
The stated purpose is resilience and capacity: SSEN links the upgrade to customers adopting low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, and says the new cabling will serve the area's 11,500 customers for many years1. For a household, the practical relevance of local network capacity lies in what the connection can support, such as electric vehicle charging or a heat pump, rather than in the cable replacement itself. SSEN has not reported any change to connection charges, capacity limits or application processes in connection with this project.
Households elsewhere in SSEN's licence area are not affected by this work. The national-supply hub covers the wider picture of how power reaches homes, and how to apply for an electricity supply upgrade sets out the process where a home needs a larger or new connection.
What happens next
The programme of works started in early March 2022 and is scheduled to run until December of the same year1. SSEN said it will look to update customers in the immediate vicinity of the works throughout1. No further dates, phasing or completion milestones have been reported.