Digging Up Newly Laid Granite Setts for Electricity Repair Avoided

Published on: 18 Dec, 2016
Updated on: 20 Dec, 2016

Three UK Power Networks vans and a towed digger in the High Street, outside Marks & Spencer, this afternoon (Sunday, December 18)

The ominous presence of emergency electricity supply repair vehicles, in Guildford High Street ton Sunday afternoon (Sunday, December 18), led to speculation that some of the recently relaid High Street granite setts might have to be dug up.

When asked, one of the van’s crew members, who appeared to be requesting instructions by phone, agreed that it was a possibility. On a trailer attached to one van was a small mechanical digger.

The deputy leader of Surrey County Council, Peter Martin (wearing a dark jacket); the leader of Guildford Borough Council, Paul Spooner (blue shirt); with some of the workmen on August 10 when the work was being completed. Photo – Surrey County Council’s Surrey News website.

When the project to relay the setts was completed earlier this year it was said that routine service repairs would not be allowed until 2020 but it was understood that emergency repairs would have to be allowed.

Today (December 20) a spokesman for UK Power net works said: “Our engineers carried out emergency repairs in Guildford High Street on Sunday due to a fault on an underground electricity cable serving the local area.

“The work involved an excavation on the paved footpath and did not affect the new granite surface. We will return the pavement to normal as quickly as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

In the past one of the main problems affecting the maintenance of the setted High Street surface has been substandard re-surfacing work, sometimes with tarmac, following repairs to service pipes and cables running under the surface.

A few weeks ago the appearance of white markings near some manhole covers on the High Street caused fears that maintenance work was already being planned to the relaid surface, but no work ensued.