MIDDLEWICH Town Mayor Samantha Moss and MP Fiona Bruce joined staff from SP Energy Networks today to officially open their new state-of-the-art depot in Middlewich.

The modern facility will be central to delivering the company’s 2015-2023 plans to invest up to £130 million across mid Cheshire.

The depot will host a larger team in the Middlewich area for SP Energy Networks, which has recently increased in size from 40 to 65 people.

The company is responsible for ensuring that the lights stay on for approximately 230,000 homes and businesses in mid Cheshire, and the Middlewich team will play a critical role in managing the 10,000km of cables in the area that help to ensure a reliable network.

The facility will also be the regional hub for responding to storms and emergencies on the network.

The 14,000 sq ft depot includes warehouse space and offices, as well as yard facilities, on a two-acre site in the Magnitude Business Park. The depot is the first project to be completed in the business park since it was rebranded under a new strategic partnership in late 2016.

Stephen Stewart, SP Energy Networks director, said: “We were delighted to welcome Fiona Bruce and Samantha Moss to our new depot today, and to discuss the major investments being delivered in to the electricity network across the region.

“The new facility provides a modern space for our teams of engineers, technicians and office staff, who work hard every day to keep the lights on for homes and businesses.

“It will also help to ensure that mid Cheshire has a modern network capable of supporting the country’s low carbon ambitions, and the anticipated growth of local renewable energy sources and the uptake of electric vehicles.”

Fiona Bruce MP said: “The new SP Energy Networks depot will deliver positive benefits for the local area, and I am pleased that major investments in the region will be overseen from this new facility.

“Not only are the team based in Middlewich responsible for managing the local electricity network 24/7, they also play an important role in the community, supporting a variety of engagement programmes such as visiting schools to talk about the dangers of electricity. I hope that the new depot will serve the region well for a long time to come.”