Windermere power house makes way for affordable homes

03 November 2009

United Utilities engineers are getting ready to move one of Windermere's electricity substations to a brand new address, and would like residents to know what they're doing.

The important scheme - which starts on November 9 - will clear the way for badly-needed affordable housing in the town.

The move follows a decision by South Lakeland District Council to require that distribution firm Electricity North West vacate its current site at the junction Whinfield Road and Park Road where it has leased land for a substation for more than 40 years.

The plan is to use the old site for a social housing scheme.

To keep disruption to a minimum, engineers needed to find an alternative site as close to the original substation as possible.

They settled on a location just the other side of Park Road. It is tucked away in the corner of Queen's Park on land Electricity North West has bought so that it won't have to move again.

United Utilities project manager David Blamire, who is involved in managing the project on behalf of Electricity North West, said the new substation would be built with the utmost respect for its new surroundings.

"Re-locating a substation is a major job. It's a bit like re-locating a railway station. It's not just the platform that needs moving, it's all the tracks. Having the new site so close to the existing substation means we do not have to move too many cables too far and cause untold disruption digging up all the roads. Our new location means there will be only minimal work in the road way."

To make sure the new building blends in with Windermere's pretty vernacular its walls will be traditionally wet-dashed with a Burlington blue slate roof. External trims such as fascias will be in brown.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of March.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience this work will no doubt cause. It's absolutely essential but we want to do it as quickly and sensitively as we can. When it's finished it will mean this part of Windermere can enjoy the same reliable electricity supply it has always had. It will just be coming from a slightly different place," added David.

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