SP Energy Networks on behalf of SP Manweb plc
Proof of Evidence
Of Dewi Jones
On
The technical need for the Linenhall Street 33kV primary substation and associated electricity network apparatus on land known as Linenhall Street and other areas in Chester
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990, ACQUISITION OF LAND ACT 1981, CHESTER CORPORATION ACT 1929 & CHESTER IMPROVEMENT ACT 1845. APPLICATIONS TO: 1) CONFIRM THE CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL (CHESTER NORTHGATE) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2017; 2) CONFIRM THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAY (NORTH WEST) (NO. ) ORDER 201 AND; 3) CLOSE CHESTER MARKET AND RELOCATE IT WITHIN THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHGATE AREA OF CHESTER.
ELECTRICITY ACT 1989
Page 1 of 7 1. Introduction
1.1 I am a Head of Planning and Design Manager with SP Energy Networks responsible for the design of the SP Manweb plc local distribution in the Wirral area including Chester City. I hold a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Bangor University. I joined SP Manweb in 1993 and have since held various engineering posts within the company. I have been in my current position since 2015.
1.2 SP Manweb plc is the licensed electricity Distribution Network Operator which owns and manages the electricity distribution network within Cheshire, Merseyside, North Shropshire and North Wales. SP Manweb plc is part of SP Energy Networks which owns three regulated electricity networks businesses in the UK. These are SP Manweb, SP Distribution and SP Transmission which transmit electricity in Central and Southern Scotland. SP Energy Networks supplies 1.5 million customers in Merseyside, Cheshire, North Shropshire and North Wales and 2 million customers in Central and Southern Scotland.
2. Scope of Evidence
2.1 Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) issued a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on 13th July 2017 for the land bounded by Hunter Street to the north, Northgate Street and Town Hall Square to the east, Watergate Street to the south and St Martins way to the west, Chester. Within this area, SP Manweb occupy and operate an existing operational primary 33kV substation (Linenhall Street) along with twelve secondary 11kV substations which form part of the local SPM distribution network. The asset reference and name for these sites is as listed below:
Primary 33kV 04/4066/0003E Linenhall St, Chester (site 56 on CPO plan)
Secondary 11kV 04/4066/0060 Market Hall, 04/4066/0043 Central Car Park 04/4066/00091 Chester International Hotel, Chester 04/4066/0066 Goldsmith House, Chester 04/4066/0054 Hamilton 04/4066/0096 Merchants House, Chester 04/4066/0034 Town Hall, Chester 04/4066/0107 Goss Street, Chester 04/4066/0069 Astons, 04/4066/0059 Hamilton Place Chester 04/4066/064 Mac fisheries 04/4066/086 Library Northgate Street
2.2 In addition, SP Manweb owns and operates a network of underground cabling between the above assets and much of this would also be affected by the proposed development.
Page 2 of 7 2.3 The CPO is in relation to the proposed development of the land including these sites by CWaC.
2.4 My evidence also covers SP Manweb’s objection to the proposed Stopping Up Order as SP Manweb requires unhindered 24hr pedestrian and vehicular access to all the above substations and underground cables
2.5 On the basis that the related secondary substations are supplied by the Linenhall Street primary substation, it is this site that is the focus of the remainder of this evidence.
2.6 The main apparatus affected by the proposed scheme is the removal of the Linenhall Street Primary 33kV Substation. The proposed development cannot include the removal of the Linenhall Street substation until such an alternative and suitable site is made available and contract terms have been formally agreed between SP Manweb and the CWaC.
2.7 SP Manweb therefore objects to the proposed CPO on the basis that the acquisition of its sites would have serious detrimental effect on the ability of it as a statutory undertaker to carry out its duties to its customers served by the affected network, and in particular, to the proposed development itself.
2.8 The purpose of my evidence is: To provide background on SP Manweb plc as a Distribution Network Licence holder under the Electricity Act 1989; To describe the existing electricity distribution system which comprises the city centre area’; To demonstrate that the removal of Linenhall Primary substation prior to the installation and commissioning of an alternative source of supply would not be technically feasible. To demonstrate SP Manweb require that CWaC provide a double primary substation site in an alternative location to cater for the existing and additional load (and alternative suitable site for any other substations that have to be relocated).
3. Electricity Supply Arrangements
3.1 Electricity is primarily generated at large power stations and supplied to customers through an integrated high voltage transmission system operated in England and Wales by National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (NGET). Lower voltage distribution systems are operated by Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). As a DNO, SP Manweb plc takes supplies from NGET at Grid Supply Points (GSPs) and distributes electricity around its area at 132kV, 33kV and at lower voltages to customers’ premises. The distribution system consists of overhead lines, cables and substations.
Page 3 of 7 4. The Electricity Act 1989 as amended by the Utilities Act 2000 and the Distribution Licence.
4.1 A number of the key statutory obligations and licence conditions that apply when designing, planning and developing the SP Manweb plc distribution system are set out in this section.
4.2 SP Manweb plc has a statutory duty under Section 9 (SPM1.1) of the Electricity Act 1989 to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity distribution. Under Section 16 (SPM1.1) of the Electricity Act 1989 (as amended) the Company has a duty to provide an electricity connection and continue to maintain such a connection. Section 16 states that “any reference to making a connection includes a reference to maintaining the connection (and continuing to provide the necessary electric lines or electric plant)”.
4.3 SP Manweb plc is the holder of an Electricity Distribution Licence for the Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales area. Condition 21 (SPM1.2) of the licence requires compliance with the Distribution Code which is designed so as to permit the development, maintenance and operation of an efficient, co- ordinated and economical system for the distribution of electricity. Condition 24 (SPM1.3) of the licence places a responsibility on the Company to plan and develop the distribution system in accordance with a standard not less than that set out in Engineering Recommendation P2/61, ‘Security of Supply’ (doc ref SPM1.4).
4.4 All DNO’s have a Customer Minutes Lost (CML) target and a Customer Interruptions (CI) target imposed on them by Ofgem. Failure to meet these may result in significant financial penalties under the ‘Information and Incentives Project’ (IIP). The distribution system must therefore have sufficient flexibility to maintain supplies in the event of planned outages for repair, maintenance, refurbishment or new construction work and for forced outages due to faults on the system.
5. Overview of the Linenhall Street substation
5.1 Linenhall Street substation is part of an existing group of 33/11kV 7.5MVA transformers: Grosvenor St - Linenhall – Northgate Terrace – Station View and Tomular Place as shown in Figure 1 below. The Group Maximum Demand is 23.36MVA. Without Linenhall Street substation, SP Manweb would be running the group outside of acceptable ratings. This would be exacerbated when additional load generated by the development and related growth is added.
Page 4 of 7 Figure 1 - Geographic Layout of Primary Substation Locations
5.2 A network demand study has been scaled to include the proposed development and the anticipated 4.3% load growth as we are anticipating connections in 2019/21.
5.3 The system demand for the network under consideration is as follows:-
Substation Substation Substation Substation Capacity Maximum Forecast MD (4.3% - 2015- (MVA) Demand 2020) (from IPSA+ Model) Grosvenor Street 7.5 5.2 5.42 Linenhall 7.5 5.1 5.31 Northgate Terrace 7.5 5.1 5.31 Station View 7.5 5.1 5.31 Tomular Place 10 5.2 5.42 Total 37.5* 25.7 26.8 (*Total complies with ESDD-02-019 Mixed Transformers)
5.4 The Linenhall Street substation is therefore a strategic part of the existing SP Manweb 33kV infrastructure for Chester City and its location forms a fundamentally important role in the day to day operational requirements of the local distribution network.
Page 5 of 7 6. Requirement for an alternative site
6.1 The preferred option is to relocate Linenhall substation to New Crane Street and install 2 x 7.5/10MVA Transformers to allow the connection of the additional load for the development into the existing HV circuits around the development site. The attached Technical Justification Paper (SPM 1.5) explains why an alternative site is required.
6.2 The site location has been confirmed as agreeable in principle with CWaC however the substation building and architectural layout is still to be confirmed and agreed with them. Necessary consents and other planning requirements need to be secured and alterations to other parts of the network are still to be finalised and agreed
6.3 SP Manweb and CWaC have, via their respective solicitors been actively trying to reach an agreement whereby the Council will provide an undertaking to SP Manweb to ensure that the Company’s assets are protected and on completion of this agreement SP Manweb would be agree to lift the objection. Despite best attempts by the parties, the agreement is still in draft and not yet in an agreed form.
6.4 The agreement provides for the protection of various substations within or affected by the CPO area, some of which will remain and some that will need to be relocated. It will also ensure that our electricity cables within the CPO are be protected.
6.5 The agreement sets out that the Council undertake to ensure access will be made available at all times to SPM’s apparatus affected by the CPO during the development process and will provide leases and associated rights for any new substations to be constructed or existing ones that are to be retained and for cable easements to be granted for all electricity cables, either existing or new that are to be laid.
6.6 The agreement will ensure that SP Manweb will be granted rights to be able to operate their electricity network following the granting of the CPO during the development process and thereafter will be granted the necessary permanent rights for substations and electricity cables within the CPO area.
6.7 Discussions are ongoing between the parties at the time of writing to conclude and complete the agreement.
7. Conclusion
7.1 SP Manweb has a statutory duty to develop and maintain an efficient, co- ordinated and economical system of electricity distribution.
Page 6 of 7 7.2 The Linenhall Street primary 33kVsubstation forms an integral and strategic part of the local areas future distribution system need and will play an essential role in relation to an existing need to provide continuity and quality of supplies to SP Manweb customers.
7.3 To remove Linenhall Street substation (and any other substation within the CPO area) would severely deplete the existing levels of supply security and power quality currently afforded to the customers in the area, which goes against the company’s requirement to operate an efficient and co-ordinated system. It would also place the company in breach of its licence conditions.
8. Witness Declaration 8.1 I hereby declare that this Proof of Evidence includes all facts which I regard as being relevant to the opinions which I have expressed and the Inquiry's attention has been drawn to any matter which would affect the validity of that opinion. I believe the facts which I have stated in this proof of evidence are true and that the opinions expressed are correct. I understand my duty to the Inquiry to help it with matters within my expertise and I believe I have complied with that duty.
List of SP Manweb Documents
SPM 1.1 Section 9 Electricity Act 1989 SPM 1.2 Condition 21 of the DNO licence SPM 1.3 Condition 24 of the DNO licence SPM 1.4 Engineering Recommendation P2/6, ‘Security of Supply’ SPM 1.5 Technical Justification Paper
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