Thousands of homes and business across Coniston have moved one step closer to a more resilient power network after work started on a £16m upgrade.
Engineers from SP Electricity North West have commenced work which will see new underground electricity cables installed throughout the village.
A large stretch of overhead lines and wooden poles will also be upgraded with the project spanning 39km throughout Ambleside, Ulverston and Coniston. Once work is complete, network reliability will increase while additional capacity will also be created, supporting future developments in Coniston and the surrounding areas. Overhead lines and wooden poles will also be removed from Blawith Fell to improve the visual amenity of the National Landscape.
Now work is underway, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, visited site to meet with SP Electricity North West teams to learn more about the work and the long-term benefits for the village and surrounding areas.
Jonathan Eggleston, SP Electricity North West's Head of Operations for the region, said: "It's always an exciting time when multimillion-pound projects get underway as it signals the start of transforming a power network.
"Our £16m investment signals our commitment to the village of Coniston and surrounding areas as the work we'll be doing will significantly improve reliability and future proof critical electrical infrastructure.
"It was also a major positive to welcome Tim Farron MP to site and discuss the scale of the project in detail. We're keen to work with Tim to ensure his constituents are kept up to date with all the latest information and we're also committed to working with the local council to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum."
As part of the visit, Mr Farron met members of the project team and saw first-hand the scale of the engineering work required to modernise key parts of the local electricity network.
"This investment in Coniston is much needed and I am delighted work has finally started," said Tim Farron MP.
"The severe impact of storms, particularly Storm Arwen, highlighted how fragile the network can be as residents were left without power for several days.
"I appreciate the scale of the work will bring disruption, but I will work closely with SP Electricity North West to ensure it is minimised and where possible, work is carried out at the best possible time for homes and businesses."
Work is now underway on Bog Lane and teams will be in the area for the next eight weeks.
The £16m scheme was announced earlier this year and forms part of wider investment to ensure the Cumbria network continues to meet the needs of local communities for decades to come as we become more reliant on electricity and the frequency of severe weather events increases.
For more information, visit www.enwl.co.uk/coniston
