News Releases

A £8 million investment on the electricity network is underway in South Warwickshire.

Western Power Distribution (WPD), the electricity distributor for the region, is committed to investing in its network to further improve supply reliability and customer service levels.

The initiative involves WPD laying 21km of 33,000 volt cable between Coventry and Warwick, which will help further safeguard supply reliability to 81,000 customers in the Coventry, Leamington and Warwick areas.

WPD’s investment is also designed to better accommodate any increased demands placed on the power network in the future for additional developments.

The project, which is being carried out in phases, started in January and is expected to be completed by September 2014.

The next phase of the work will involve the closure of the A452 (Kenilworth Road) until the evening of Tuesday April 29 to enable a further section of the new cables to be laid.

The A452 will be closed from around 6am on Monday April 14 between the roundabout at the Ramada Hotel at Chesford and the roundabout at Old Milverton Lane near the Nuffield Hospital, however, a diversion via Stoneleigh Rd and Bericote Road will be in place. The cable laying will be carried out by WPD’s contractors O’Connor Utilities Ltd.

“It ensures that we can provide a high level of service to these areas in the long term by improving the infrastructure and security of our electricity network,” said Pat Booth, WPD’s Projects Manager for the area.

The project, which started in January, is expected to be completed by September 2014.

Added Pat: “While this work is being undertaken, our aim is to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum. We have been speaking with Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council and the Highways Agency to agree on a cable route which creates the least disruption for traffic flow in the area.

“We have also arranged to carry out the cable laying work over the Easter period when traffic flow is likely to be at a minimum and we have kept customers and business along the route informed by letter.”

Note for newsdesks:
• Western Power Distribution (WPD) is the distribution network operator for the Midlands, South West England and South Wales, and is responsible for delivering electricity to approximately 7.8 million customers in the UK.

• WPD is not an electricity supply company and does not bill customers in the UK. Its responsibility is to distribute electricity from the point of generation to homes and businesses.