Work on a £12 million upgrade of the local electricity network in and around Bournemouth began on 30 September 2024 and is scheduled to run until 20261. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said the investment would make the network more resilient and flexible and support the area's move towards net zero1.
The scheme runs from Christchurch through to Boscombe and is being carried out by SSEN's contract partners Keltbray Infrastructure Services1. It includes the replacement of nearly 6km of underground cabling and the decommissioning of older equipment at one of the substations along the route, which SSEN says is no longer needed because more efficient kit is being installed1. SSEN states the project will future-proof the local electricity network for almost 200,000 customers1.
SSEN's Senior Project Manager for the works, Michael Deans, said:
"This project will be beneficial locally for our customers in Christchurch and Boscombe, as well as those in the wider Bournemouth area. Their network will become more resilient, and these works will contribute to a growth in network capacity in the future, which in turn will support the move to net zero."
SSEN said it had held briefing sessions with the local council and elected members before works began, and that this engagement would continue as the project progresses1. Advance warning notices and adverts are to give local people guidance on how the works might affect them, and SSEN said some traffic management would be in place at certain points, with people informed well in advance1. No planned power interruptions are scheduled during the works1.
Why it matters for households
The work concerns the lower-voltage distribution network that carries electricity to individual homes, rather than the national transmission system. Replacing underground cabling and substation equipment is intended to make supply in the Christchurch to Boscombe corridor more resilient in adverse weather, and SSEN says it lays the groundwork for greater local network capacity in future, in combination with other works1. For a household, local network capacity is one of the constraints on what can be connected and used at a property, including electric heating, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging, though SSEN has not reported any specific connection figures for this scheme.
SSEN has reminded customers that its free Priority Services Register is open to households that meet listed criteria, including being deaf or hard of hearing, having a disability, living with children under five, being blind or partially sighted, having a chronic illness, using medical equipment or aids reliant on electricity, being over 60, or temporarily needing extra support1. The register is separate from the construction works and applies to support during power cuts.
What happens next
The project runs until 2026, with engagement with local authorities and elected members continuing and further updates promised to residents and businesses1. SSEN has set up a dedicated project page for the works1.