MORE than 500 ageing electricity poles will be upgraded to ensure 2,000 customers in south Cumbria receive a reliable power supply to their homes and businesses.

Electricity North West, the company that owns and maintains the regional power network, will spend £230,000 replacing poles and refurbishing overhead power lines along 50km of the network between Milnthorpe, Heversham, Levens and Witherslack.

The company said the project, which will be completed by March 2015, will help improve the quality of supply and reduce any possible impact on customer power supplies now and for many more years to come.

“We are delighted to invest in this section of the network as we understand how vital electricity is and how much our customers rely on power to go about their daily lives,” said Martin Deehan, operations director for Electricity North West.

“The electricity poles have served the area well for many years and this work ensures that we can provide a safe, reliable and efficient electricity supply to the area for many more years.”

Any disruption will be kept to a minimum and there will be no road closures. Planned shutdowns will take place to allow engineers to carry out the work safely and all customers will be notified beforehand.

If anyone living in the area has any queries about the project, call Electricity North West on 0800 195 4141.