Mannington to Shaftesbury Network Investment

This work forms part of SSEN’s wider commitment to modernise the electricity network and enable the connection of more renewable energy sources.

What’s happening?

We are installing underground ducts along a carefully planned route from Mannington Substation to Shaftesbury, which will later house new 132kV electricity cables. These ducts are being installed in advance of the main cable works to minimise future disruption.

First Phase: Trial Hole Investigations

• Our trial hole works have progressed well over the Summer, and we have now confirmed the route that our ducting will follow.
• We have a small portion of larger trial holes to complete closer to our Mannington Substation.

These works will involve minimal disruption, with short-term traffic management in place where necessary.

A full programme of our work in the area is being compiled in collaboration with the Local Council Highways Authority.

Route Overview

The duct route will pass through Dorset, and a small section of Wiltshire, connecting key substations and infrastructure.

We are working closely with local authorities to ensure all works are delivered safely and with minimal impact.

Second Phase: Installing Ducts

We will write to residents and businesses on each road that is impacted in sequence to ensure everyone is kept up to date with the progress of our work and the traffic management measures we will have in place.

When we close a road, a temporary diversion route will be provided. The diversion route must be suitable for all diverted traffic and be of a similar grade of carriageway. Road signage will direct traffic to use the shortest-available route which meets these requirements.

• Road Closures: Roads will be closed where necessary to ensure the safety of both workers and the public.
• Overnight Closures: Roads under construction will remain closed overnight but local access will be maintained.
• Emergency Services: Full details of road closures are shared with emergency services to minimise disruption.
• Refuse Collection: There will be no impact to local refuse collection services, and our site team will be happy to answer any questions you might have about access during the closures.

We thank you for your patience and cooperation as we complete our works as safely and quickly as possible.
Please watch this video to learn more:

Third Phase: Installing Cables

The third phase of our work will see us return in early 2026 to connect the cables to our electricity network. To do this, we will dig smaller trenches at intervals along the cable route and pull the cables through the ducts to join them together. We will gain additional consent from the council and communicate our plans before the work starts.

Environmental Protection

The route passes through areas with Special Environmental Designations (SEDs). We are partnering with ecology and environmental specialists to ensure all works are carried out responsibly and in line with environmental regulations.

Our approach includes:

• Pre-works ecological surveys
• Biodiversity protection measures
• Ongoing monitoring during construction

Social Value and Community Engagement

SSEN and Aureos are committed to delivering lasting benefits to the communities we serve. Through our regional social value plan, we will:

• Deliver STEM workshops and career talks in local schools
• Offer apprenticeships and work experience placements
• Support local charities such as Dorset Mind and Julia’s House
• Partner with Dorset Wildlife Trust, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB on sustainability initiatives
• Host community events and site visits to promote green energy awareness

Environmental and Road Conditions

Our delivery partner, Aureos, is conducting a number of surveys to ensure that the impact of our work will be kept to a minimum along the full route.

Our team has worked closely with the local council highways authority to ensure that we are working collaboratively with other utility companies, while minimising disruption to local traffic flow wherever possible.

Keeping in touch

We want to keep local residents informed and make it easy for you to get in touch if you have questions or concerns while the works are underway.

• For general queries or complaints, please contact SSEN on: LCD@sse.com or 0800 980 1395

We will write in sequence to residents and businesses on each road that is affected, to ensure that residents and businesses are kept up-to-date with the progress of our work and the traffic management measures we will have in place.

We will be holding community drop-in events at key points throughout the project; please check back for updates on this.

Planned Supply Interruptions

There are no planned Power Supply Interruptions (PSI) scheduled to take place during the works, but anyone who has concerns about vulnerability during power cuts should register for our Priority Services.