Delivered to North West England
Cable sand delivered across the North West
Our home patch. The yard is in Salford, so Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria are the closest areas we deliver to, and usually the quickest. The network here is run by SP Electricity North West, which was called Electricity North West until August 2025, and its rules are unusual: it does not want cement-bound sand around low voltage and 11 kV cables.
Operator rules last checked 2 October 2026.
Towns we deliver to in the North West
And everywhere in between. Distances are from our yard in Salford, as the crow flies; the road distance is longer. Haulage is most of the price, so it helps to know.
| Town or city | Miles from Salford |
|---|---|
| Manchester | about 3 |
| Salford | about 1 |
| Bolton | about 8 |
| Oldham | about 9 |
| Stockport | about 8 |
| Wigan | about 13 |
| Blackburn | about 20 |
| Burnley | about 21 |
| Preston | about 25 |
| Blackpool | about 38 |
| Lancaster | about 44 |
| Barrow-in-Furness | about 57 |
| Kendal | about 61 |
| Carlisle | about 100 |
Near the edge of the area? Network boundaries do not follow county lines, so check which operator covers your site with theEnergy Networks Association’s postcode lookup.
SP Electricity North West’s rules for the sand
Formerly Electricity North West.
- Minimum depth to the top of the cable, low voltage: 0.45 m under footways and other land, 0.60 m under roads, 0.90 m in good agricultural land.
- Minimum depth, 6.6 and 11 kV: 0.60 m under footways and other land, 0.75 m under roads, 0.90 m in good agricultural land.
- Surround material above, below and around the cables or ducts, at least 100 mm thick over the top for low voltage and 11 kV.
- Cement-bound materials are not used around low voltage and 11 kV cables unless approved.
- 33 kV: at least 0.75 m deep; at least 75 mm of surround material around the base and sides of the cable or duct.
Sources: Electricity North West, ES400E4, issue 12, June 2024; Electricity North West, ES400E5, issue 9, November 2024. Always work to your own drawings and spec.
Delivery to the North West
How quickly
Usually next day across the North West, often sooner close to Salford. Short haulage keeps the price down, and smaller loads make more sense here than anywhere else.
What we supply
Cable sand, sand for cement-bound sand or CBS pre-mixed dry, gravel and sand mix, and crushed limestone or granite dust (3 mm to dust). Tested sand where your spec asks for it, standard sand where it does not.
How it comes
Tipper loads of about 20 tonnes, artic loads of about 28 to 30 tonnes, or 850 kg bulk bags lifted off by crane. Bulk bags from one bag; loose tipper loads from 10 tonnes.
Work out how much you need with the calculator. Bedding and blinding step by step in the trench guide.
Questions
Who runs the electricity network in North West England?
SP Electricity North West (formerly Electricity North West). Its rules set what goes around cables that will join its network, so check them, or your drawings, before you order.
Do you deliver cable sand to Manchester and Carlisle?
Yes. We deliver anywhere in North West England, from Manchester to Carlisle, about 100 miles from our Salford yard as the crow flies. Usually next day across the North West, often sooner close to Salford. Short haulage keeps the price down, and smaller loads make more sense here than anywhere else.
What does SP Electricity North West ask for around its cables?
Minimum depth to the top of the cable, low voltage: 0.45 m under footways and other land, 0.60 m under roads, 0.90 m in good agricultural land. Its rules cover more than that, so see the full list on this page.
Get a price
Cable sand for your site in the North West
Send the site postcode and how much you need, and we price the sand and the haulage from Salford to your site.