Tavistock £300k power upgrade remains ‘on track’ amid latest roadwork delays

A £300,000 project to upgrade Tavistock’s electricity network is ‘on track’, according to National Grid Electricity Distribution.

Engineers recently began the five-week scheme, with work due to continue until March 20. 

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New underground high-voltage cables are being installed along Callington Road, Ford Street and Plymouth Road.

Temporary traffic lights are being used at points along the route, which has led to delays for drivers travelling through the town.

The Moorlander contacted National Grid for clarification on the Tavistock works and a spokesperson confirmed “The project is going well and is on track”.

The spokesperson added: “Due to the fluid nature of the work which requires engineers switching locations to pull cables, it’s difficult to provide exact details about traffic management at a given time, but traffic lights will only be in operation when required.”

National Grid also confirmed the upgrade is expected to benefit around 3,600 homes and businesses in Tavistock.

The spokesperson added: “In terms of how this work supports future demand, it will enable us to add more capacity to the network which means more customers adopting low-carbon technologies, such as electric vehicle chargers, battery storage and solar panels, can be connected.”

The Tavistock scheme is currently the only planned network reinforcement project in the town this year. 

However, further improvements to the local network are likely in 2027, with details yet to be confirmed.

So far, the company says it has not received any feedback from residents or local businesses about the works.

Ashley Pillay, National Grid Electricity Distribution’s team manager for the area, said: “This planned work forms part of a wider programme to upgrade and reinforce the Tavistock high voltage network that will ensure customers have reliable supplies for many years to come. 

“We recognise and understand that roadworks cause inconvenience and these works are likely to cause some delays. We will be working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.”

National Grid Electricity Distribution is investing around £3.5 billion between 2023 and 2028 on maintenance, upgrades and improving the health of its network across the South West, South Wales and Midlands regions.

The company says electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2050 as more households switch to electric vehicles and heat pumps.