A multi-million pound investment by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to boost the resilience and flexibility of its North West London infrastructure is set to start in January next year.

The distribution operator is continuing a £16 million programme of the works that will run in two phases across 15 months in the North Acton area; increasing the capacity and strengthening the power supplies to some 63,000 local customers in an area of increasing development. Part of SSEN’s ongoing commitment to improve network flexibility and strength of supply, the first phase of the project will begin on 20 January 2023, with cable routing works being carried out from the existing Canal Bank substation to Leamington Park.

The nature of these works, which will commence from A40 between Horn Lane and Victoria Road, means some sections will require weekend working to ensure the safety of engineers, pedestrians and road users, while minimising traffic disruption. This day and night weekend working will take place between 20 January and 26 March, with substantial measures in place to reduce the potential for noise disruption.

The initial phase of this ambitious project will be followed in Spring 2023 with cabling works being carried out on Noel Road, Victoria Road and Wales Farm Road, where traffic management systems will be required. At all stages of these works, no homes and businesses will be affected.

In addition to investing in North Acton’s infrastructure, SSEN will also be upgrading the associated substations by fitting the latest technology to ensure a robust and resilient power supply for those living and working in the area.

SSEN’s Project Manager, Euan Hall said:

“My team and I are delighted to be upgrading this important section of North West London’s electricity network; building customers a power supply fit for their needs now and as they move to more low carbon technologies, such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels.

“It’s vital that we invest in designing and building networks that are flexible enough to accommodate growing areas and robust enough to stand up to weather events, including winter storms and extreme heat.”

SSEN has worked closely with both Ealing Borough Council and Transport for London to ensure safety measures are in place throughout both phases of the project and that working times and practices create the least possible disruption. Information on the work for Phase 1 is available on SSEN’s project page here - Leamington Park - Network Upgrade - SSEN.

While SSEN has no planned supply interruptions for the duration of this programme of works, severe weather events can still bring the potential for unplanned power cuts. Anyone who has concerns about vulnerability during power cuts is reminded of SSEN’s Priority Services Register.

Customers are eligible for SSEN's free Priority Services Register (PSR) if they: 

  • Are deaf or hard of hearing
  • Have a disability
  • Live with children under five
  • Are blind or partially sighted
  • Have a chronic illness
  • Use medical equipment/aids reliant on electricity
  • Are over 60
  • Temporarily need extra support

To find out more about the PSR, click here or call 0800 294 3259. Additionally, you can access further information on power cuts and how SSEN can assist you during this time, by going to: Power cuts & safety - SSEN.

As the distribution operator for central southern England, SSEN invests over £150 million a year in building resilience across its network, through upgrading and reinforcing the electricity infrastructure. This includes around £20 million a year on regular tree cutting and maintenance, over £12 million targeted for refurbishing overhead lines and over £2 million to install Automated Devices on parts of the network to enable the faster restoration of customer supplies in the event of a fault.