Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has completed a project to boost the resilience of a section of its Oxfordshire infrastructure.

The £250,000 programme of works has reinforced and upgraded the distribution operator's network in Wallingford, through new interconnectors and cabling on the underground infrastructure. Throughout the local network improvement scheme, SSEN worked closely with The Ridgeway National Trail and Oxfordshire County Council, as a portion of the project involved temporary restrictions and excavation to a bridleway between Wallingford and Mongewell.

SSEN was keen to ensure that in addition to bringing a bringing a robust power supply to 1,200 local homes and businesses, and providing them with a network fit for the future, they would take the opportunity to improve the bridleway surface to benefit the public and support the integrity of the National Trail.

On completion of the project, which has enhanced Wallingford's existing infrastructure and will enable local residents and businesses to meet their net zero goals, SSEN's project team set about restoring the bridleway, so it too would be resilient for many years to come.

-- Advertisement --

SSEN's Project Manager, Mark Guinea said: "It's been a real pleasure to work on this project; providing our Oxfordshire customers with a power supply that meets their needs now and in to the future as they adopt low carbon technologies, such as electric vehicles, and helping to preserve an important part of the local area's environment and history.

"As part of the project involved working on the bridleway itself, we took guidance from The Ridgeway National Trail and Oxfordshire County Council on the best way to reinstate the surface so it could be accessible year-round to residents and visitors, and would accommodate wheel chairs and push chairs, as well as pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders."

The bridleway is popular amongst local residents for walking and cycling between Wallingford and Mongewell, and also going further afield to the Stokes villages and Goring. As part of The Ridgeway National Trail, visitors from outside the area use the bridleway too.

Sarah Wright of The Ridgeway National Trail said: "Access to the countryside for recreation and wellbeing has become more important as a result of the pandemic, and this bridleway plays a key part in this for local residents as an off-road walking and cycling route to work, school and shops.

"The new surface is such an improvement in terms of accessibility and appearance. It benefits local residents and also, when Covid restrictions ease, visitors from the UK and overseas enjoying The Ridgeway National Trail on a day trip or holiday. This has been a great opportunity to work with SSEN to realise this improvement as part of their work."

Network reliability is a key priority for SSEN and the customers it serves. Following a series of engagements with its customers, SSEN took the decision to make this investment in Wallingford to further improve network resilience, and future-proof its infrastructure for customer's changing demands.

SSEN's investment in this area of Oxfordshire ensures a power supply and infrastructure fit for the future, by upgrading an important section of the local network to help communities achieve their decarbonisation ambitions.