Sandford

Current construction activity

Date from	Date to	Activity
October 2021	Summer 2022	Removing existing pylons between Bridgwater and Sandford
July 2021	Late 2023	Modify WPD's existing overhead line to Weston-super-Mare
June 2021	Late 2024	Access to public footpaths and rights of way
May 2021	2024	Building new T-pylons
April 2020	Late 2023	Sandford substation – construction
2018	Ongoing	Roadworks and traffic management

Overview – Winter 2022

National Grid’s contractor, Siemens, is continuing with the construction of Sandford substation.

Located in the centre of our project and set to connect low-carbon energy from Hinkley Point C and other sources to the local distribution network, the new substation will be the heart of the Hinkley Connection when it’s completed and energised in late 2023.

We’re working with Western Power Distribution (WPD) to make changes to their existing network and to connect the new WPD substation at Sandford. In July 2021, we started work to build nine new lattice pylons north-west of substation towards Puxton, and to divert and then remove existing overhead lines in this area.

During 2023, we’ll remove existing WPD lattice pylons to the north and south of the substation, bringing us a step closer to removing 67 kilometres of WPD’s overhead line by the time the Hinkley Connection Project is completed in 2025.

We recognise that our construction activity impacts local communities and work with our contractors to limit that as much as possible.

Contact our community relations team to register for project updates direct to your inbox.

Take a look at our detail map

Projects timeline

April 2020 to late 2023

Build Sandford substation

What we're doing:

Advance planting and landscaping.
Installing a temporary construction compound adjacent to the site of the new substation.
Building a new substation, just north of the A368, in order to maintain local electricity supplies in the area.

Early 2021 to mid 2023

Modifications to the existing 132,000 volt overhead line to Weston-super-Mare

What we're doing:

Building temporary entrances and access roads to allow construction traffic to enter site from the local highway. You can find more information on our construction information page.
Installing a temporary construction compound north of Sandford substation.
Building a new connection from Sandford substation to the existing overhead line that goes to Weston-super-Mare. It will be made up of 700m of underground cable and nine new lattice pylons. This is to ensure local electricity supplies are maintained.
Removing 1.5 km of the existing overhead line to Weston-super-Mare that runs north-west from Sandford near Puxton.

This work will be done by Western Power Distribution.

Early 2021 to mid 2025

Build a new 400,000 volt overhead line

What we're doing:

Building temporary entrances and access roads to allow construction traffic to enter site from the local highway. You can find more information on our construction information page.
Building a new overhead line from Sandford substation to Seabank substation (approximately 31.2 km).
We will use T-pylons in this area.

Early 2021 to mid 2025

Remove existing 132,000 volt overhead line

What we're doing:

Removing Western Power Distribution’s overhead line from the A368 in Sandford to Avonmouth.

Late 2021 to late 2023

Modifications to the existing 132,000 volt overhead line to Churchill

What we're doing:

Building a new overhead line using wooden poles (285m) from Sandford substation to the existing overhead line that goes to Churchill, to ensure local electricity supplies are maintained.
Removing approximately 550m of the existing overhead (lattice pylons) to the south Sandford substation.

This work will be done by Western Power Distribution.