We are carrying out essential maintenance work on the 400kV overhead electricity transmission line between Lovedean in Hampshire and Bolney in West Sussex.
Project overview
From March to November 2025, we will be refurbishing sections of the 64.5km overhead line between Lovedean and Bolney, replacing fittings on pylons and repairing steelwork where necessary.
The route, made up of 190 pylons with two circuits, begins at our substation in Lovedean and runs close to the South Downs National Park, to our substation at Bolney.
We will refurbish each circuit separately to allow electricity provision to be maintained when the power is turned off on one side of the pylons. There will be no disruption to the supply of electricity while this work is carried out.
We are committed to investing in the ongoing refurbishment of our network to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our customers and communities for years to come. This maintenance work is needed to ensure a continued, reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses.
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Works to local roads and footpaths
To ensure that the refurbishment works can take place safely we will occasionally need to temporarily close local roads, footpaths and bridleways where they intersect with the overhead line route.
All such closures and temporary traffic management plans are planned and scheduled following conversation and agreement with the relevant local authority and are required to ensure the safety of both members of the public and our team whilst these essential works are taking place.
Temporary stop and go measures
Over the coming months you may see some temporary ‘stop and go’ traffic management measurements put in place on local roads located next to the overhead line. These measures are required to enable our team to access working sites and drop off equipment safely. They are not expected to last any longer than 15 minutes at a time and will cause minimal disruption.
Road and lane closures
The latest information on any planned road or lane closures can be found below. We will ensure local residents and elected representatives are notified in advance of any closures.
A section of Chithurst Lane / Briar Lane, Chithurst, Petersfield, GU31 5EU will be closed for vehicle access between Monday 14 April and Wednesday 23 April. This is to enable the installation of some temporary trackway on Briar Lane to create a safe access route to the electricity pylon where works are taking place. Access to nearby properties and emergency vehicles will be maintained throughout the road closure. All other vehicles including delivery drivers, will be required to follow the signposted diversion throughout the duration of the road closure.
What’s next?
To enable the first stage of refurbishment to begin in March, we are currently in the process of undertaking an inspection of each of the pylons to assess their condition. This requires the site surrounding each pylon to be prepared, which involves clearing any vegetation to enable safe access. All vegetation clearance is being undertaken in line with the guidance and consent provided by the relevant authorities.
Once this initial period of vegetation clearance and site inspection is complete, we expect the main works to commence in March 2025.
We anticipate that the maintenance works will be complete by November 2025.
Keeping you informed
We will update this webpage as we progress through the project to let you know where you might expect to see our team working. For some areas, updates will be provided by email or post before we start our work.
Frequently asked questions
Visit our frequently asked questions page where you'll find answers to the most common questions we're asked.
Contact us
If you want to find out more about the project or have any questions, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 0800 998 7802 (between 9am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday).