News Releases

Electrical work to further safeguard power supplies to local homes and businesses in Stoke’s Cellarhead area is set for February and March.

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

It will be removing around 300 metres of overhead power lines and poles which have reached the end of their working life, and replacing them with new underground cables.

“The investment ensures that we can provide a high level of service to customers in the Cellarhead area,” said Andy Pickering, WPD’s Distribution Manager for the area.

“However, this is a busy junction and we have been working closely with Staffordshire District Moorlands Council and the Highways Agency, who suggested undertaking our work during the Easter school holidays to minimise traffic disruption.

“The work will help to safeguard electricity supplies in the region for years to come, but we are conscious that it could also cause some inconvenience to commuters, and we would like to apologise in advance if this is the case.

“We have placed signs in the area to notify commuters and we have also written to customers in the area to inform them about the work,” said Andy.

The first phase of work will take place between Friday February 28 and Monday March 3 with the second phase between Monday March 24 and Monday April 7.

The initiative forms part of WPD’s commitment to provide a consistently high level of service to customers. Around £2 billion will be invested by the company on its electricity network between 2010 and 2015.

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.