£250,000 Electricity Upgrade Starts in Saltash Next Week

Digging starts on Monday. If you live in Summerfields or Castle View, your pavement is about to disappear for a while, but there’s a decent reason for it.

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is spending £250,000 replacing underground cables that serve more than 130 homes across the two St Stephens streets. The work will run from the 27th of April until the 13th of July, covering more than 650 metres of footpath along with short stretches of road.

What the upgrade will do

The scheme is designed to improve reliability of supply and add extra capacity to the local network. That extra capacity matters for anyone thinking about the next generation of home energy kit.

David Cassidy, who is leading the scheme for NGED, said: “This is an important investment in the area’s electricity network that will improve the reliability of supplies for residents for decades to come.

“We are adding extra capacity to the local network which will make it easier for people to connect electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage.

“We understand though that work on this scale will cause some inconvenience to people living in Summerfields and Castle View and we will be doing all we can to minimise this.”

Power cuts and letters through the door

Residents should expect some temporary interruptions to their electricity supply during the works. David confirmed affected customers will be notified in advance, and NGED has already sent letters to households explaining what is happening and when.

Phased schedule

The work is being carried out in stages to limit the disruption at any one point on the streets.

• 27th April to 10th May: From 7 Summerfields to 21 Summerfields
• 11th May to 8th June: From 52 Summerfields to 1 Summerfields
• 1st to 5th June: From 1 Summerfields towards the junction of Castle View
• 8th June to 27th June: From the junction of Castle View toward 13 Castle View
• 22nd June to 3rd July: From 13 Castle View towards 25 Castle View
• 29th June to 13th July: From 25 Castle View towards 50 Castle View

Drivers should also note that two-way traffic lights will be in place on St Stephen’s Hill from the 1st to the 5th of June.