Shops and restaurants along Kingston’s High Street faced a blackout once more in late February, the latest in a string of electrical failures that have repeatedly disrupted trade over recent months. This was the first outage since early last year. The power failures forced several businesses to close early, with staff reporting sudden till failures, unusable card machines and customers being turned away during peak hours.
Many traders are concerned that the blackouts have become a worrying pattern, occurring without warning and leaving them unable to operate. At Marks & Spencer, staff were instructed to shut the store after the power cut halted all payment systems. Leia Harrington‑Coye, who works at the branch, described the growing frustration among employees and shoppers alike.
“The tills all went down, and we had to close the store because there was no way for us to be able to process payments. It was the second time I’d been at work when this happened, and it just becomes so inconvenient.”
The most recent outage mirrors similar incidents across the town centre. They have continuously affected more than 100 customers and forced several businesses near Eden Street to remain closed until engineers restored supply. UK Power Networks, which maintains Kingston’s electrical infrastructure, confirmed that faults in underground cables have been responsible for recent disruptions. Engineers have restored power by diverting electricity around damaged sections of the network.
Responsibility for repairing electrical faults sits with UK Power Networks, not Kingston Council. According to the council’s published guidance, it becomes directly involved only when outages affect a large number of people, involve multiple utilities or continue for an extended period. The council recommends that residents and businesses report power cuts or dangerous electrical situations directly to UK Power Networks, which is responsible for maintaining and repairing the area’s power lines.
Kingston Council has been contacted for comment on the repeated High Street blackouts and whether any coordinated measures are being planned to reduce future disruption. A response is awaited.