Senior members of the National Infrastructure Commission visited Biggleswade to see progress on a major project which will provide electrical networks for thousands of homes and businesses
The Commission, which advises the government about major long-term infrastructure challenges, visited the site off Dunton Lane, where UK Power Networks has been building a substation to power the new homes.
The firm recently completed the installation of new outdoor 132,000-volt switchgear equipment, which is currently being connected together with control units housed inside a new elevated switch house.
From there power will be safely and reliably supplied at 11,000-volts into the local network for future homes and expanding businesses.
The site is now being prepared, ready for the planting of more than 8,000 trees, 2,000 hedging plants and more than 1,200 shrubs from October onwards. When completed, the former arable land will have been transformed into species-rich grassland.
The Biggleswade project is part of Central Bedfordshire Council’s initiative to support planned housing growth and also includes a National Grid 400kv substation to help provide the electrical infrastructure needed for Biggleswade’s expansion. NIC chairman Sir John Armitt CBE and other senior members of the commission saw that the project would be an essential part of the Cambridge/Oxford Arc.
Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said, “It’s vital that our electricity infrastructure can cope with a growing population and increasing demand from households and businesses as we shift to a fully electrified economy. By partnering with the local council and National Grid to improve strategic planning, allowing for future expansion in the design of the project, and enhancing the environmental sustainability of the site, UK Power Networks is taking a smart approach to meet these challenges and ensure the energy security of this fast-growing region for decades to come.”
The substation is due to be switched on in the New Year.
