10/11/2025
That’s a wrap!
This weekend has seen the very last scaffold dismantled on the NWD VIP Scheme.
The Visual Impact Provision (VIP) project in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape where National Grid are replacing 4.6 Kilometres of overhead electricity lines and 13 pylons with a 400kV underground cable.
In early 2024 Pro Access Scaffolding were awarded the Contract to provide the Overhead Line Protection Scaffolds for the diversion of the existing Bramley to Melksham YYM Route Overhead Line, to allow for the construction of the Cable Sealing End Compound south of Bishops Cannings.
Six Overhead Line Protection Scaffolds were provided, crossing two Roads and a Canal, with the longest scaffolds at 132 metres in length.
Following the first stage of the project to divert the Overhead Lines, the Scaffolding contract was awarded to Pro Access Scaffolding to provide the scaffolding required along the 4.6km cable route between the two East and West Cable Sealing End Compounds.
During both stages of this project we provided a total of:
• 6 Overhead Line Protection Scaffolds
• 20 Joint Bay Scaffolds
• 4 Double Circuit 400kV Cable Sealing End Scaffolds
• 20 Link Pillar Scaffolds
• 24 Cable Support Scaffolds
• 2 Cable protection scaffolds
and....
• 20 Shelves for the Jointers Tools!
If every scaffold Pro Access Scaffolding erected on this project was lined up end to end, they would stretch for 1.8 km or 1.1 Miles long.
To support this project:
• 544 Metric Tonnes of Scaffolding were manually handled.
• 1.05 km or 0.6 miles of Niko Runway Lifting Beams were installed.
• 360 Chain Blocks were required for jointers.
• 8 Electric Chain Hoists used on the Cable Sealing Ends.
• 24 LOLER Tests Certificates provided with 68 pull tests carried out across the whole project.
• 98 Concrete Kentledge Blocks were used.
• 5300 Square metres of Monarflex type Scaffold Sheeting was installed.
• 744 Square Metres of Keder Roof were erected and dismantled.
• 14.8 miles of barbed wire was installed used for the OHL Scaffold Anti Climb Devices.
• 11,291 Square Metres of Nets installed for protection on the Overhead Line Scaffolds
with.....
• 3.9km or 2.4 miles of Catenary Wires installed to support the Nets.
From start to finish this has been one to remember and it has been a pleasure to work with Balfour Beatty and the great site team on this project.
