A £1 million power upgrade in a Lake District town has progressed to the next stage.
Electricity North West started work installing 5.4km of new underground electricity cables in Windermere late last year.
The project, carried out alongside Cumbria County Council, will create crucial new capacity to enable the installation of Windermere’s first electric ferry.
It will also allow for the potential installation of new electric charging points in several car parks within the town.
John Wilkinson, who is overseeing the work for Electricity North West, said: “This is a major investment for the town and hundreds of thousands of people will benefit in the future both from the electric ferry and new electric car charging points. I’m also pleased that we’re managing to carry out the work with no interruption to existing power supplies.”
This month, engineers will continue to install underground ducts, where the electricity cables will sit, throughout Bowness.
While work is taking place, traffic lights will be used to ensure the safety of engineers.
Once the ducts have been laid, teams will start to pull the cables through before connecting them to the electricity network.
“This is a fantastic project for the town and while it will cause some short-term disruption, the long-term benefits are clear. It was really interesting to learn more about the project in Windermere and what challenges the engineers face,” said Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, who visited the site.
“I’m really pleased that Windermere and Bowness were identified for this crucial investment which will benefit residents and businesses as well as the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area each year.”
