A multi-million pound investment programme enhancing the power supply serving Harrogate is about to get underway.
Northern Powergrid, the electricity distributor for the North East, Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire, is about to commence work installing 11 kilometres of new underground cable through Harrogate. The cable work is due to start next week and be completed by the end of October.
The entire project is costing a total of £11 million and includes the construction of a new primary substation. Normally, the substation would be built before the power lines are laid, but due to carriageway resurfacing being carried out shortly by the council, the decision has been taken to reverse the order to works to ensure road excavation work is completed beforehand.
Northern Powergrid is working extremely closely with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council’s Highways Department throughout this process.
Clancy Docwra will be carrying out the work on Northern Powergrid’s behalf.
The areas of the Harrogate being affected by the cable replacement work are:
- A61 Ripon Road
- Cornwall Road
- Harlow Moor Drive
- Harlow Moor Road
- Otley Road
- East Park Road
- Hookstone Road
- Hookstone Oval
- Knaresborough Road
- Lancaster Park Road
- Oxford Street
- Cambridge Road
- Duchy Road
- Rutland Close
- Parliament Road
- Royal Parade
- Diamond Mews
- Stray Rein
- Princess Villa Road
- St Andrews Crescent
Dave Sillito, Northern Powergrid projects manager said:
Due to Harrogate’s development over the last two decades, a new primary substation is required so that we can maintain the reliability of the town’s electricity supply.
Normally we would build the substation first, then lay the new cables to connect to it. With the council due to carry out carriageway resurfacing shortly, it was sensible for us reverse our order of work and ensure our excavations are carried out beforehand.
Our contractors will be installing the majority of the cable using a directional drill which greatly reduces the amount of open trench excavation.
We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience this work might cause, but stress that it’s extremely important that we invest in ensuring Harrogate’s power supply is fit for the future.
The entire project will take 12 months to complete.
