Overview

Pelham substation will be expanded to enable the delivery of two new quad booster units north east and south west of the site. These quad boosters will help control the flow of electricity through the network, balancing power supply between different transmission lines and ensuring electricity can be directed where it's needed most.

Initial enabling works have been undertaken to make way for the new quad boosters, with their arrival scheduled for early 2026. Enabling works are preparatory activities such as vegetation clearance, fencing installation, temporary access tracks, and scaffolding construction. These steps are necessary before the main substation upgrades and overhead line improvements can begin.

To facilitate new connections, the substation will also see some diversions, relocations and reconfiguring of existing overhead Line OHL and towers. This has the capacity to streamline the current tower configuration around the site and improve some visual impacts. 

The arrival of the quad booster units in 2026 will require  road closures across a two-week period. The details of these will be agreed with the local highways authority and will seek to minimise day-to-day impacts as much as possible. The works undertaken fall within permitted development, rather than the remit of the consented 2014 Development Consent Order (DCO). As part of the works, we are looking at where improvements can be made to the natural landscape to enhance walking routes and deliver a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain.