GRANVILLE residents are threatening to vote against the State government in the next election after Integral Energy announced the scheduled construction of the Granville substation would begin this month.

Integral Energy said it would go ahead with the controversial $58million project on Elizabeth Street.

``The new Granville Zone Substation will boost power supplies to 6000 homes and businesses in the Granville area,'' a company spokesperson said.

``Without a new zone substation, up to 2600 homes already risk losing power for up to six hours if there is a fault on the existing network.''

But young mother Karen King, whose home will border the proposed substation, said Integral Energy and the State Government had failed to take into consideration local concerns.

``I don't think they ever seriously investigated the other sites we suggested,'' she said.

``I have one-year-old child and there a various reports that indicate a link between [substations] and childhood cancers like leukaemia.''

A spokeswoman from Integral said the new zone substation would meet international health guidelines.

``When completed, the magnetic fields in and near the substation will be comparable, if not lower, than those generated by common household electrical appliances such as hair dryers, personal computers, stoves and electric blankets,'' she said.

Integral also rejected claims they had not taken seriously the residents' concerns.

``Integral Energy assessed seven further sites suggested by local residents, after the Elizabeth Street site was purchased and the proposed substation approved.

``Each site failed to meet one, or several important criteria.'' the spokeswoman said.

Action group leader Neil Harbridge said Integral Energy, the Minister for Energy, John Robertson and local MP, David Borger, had just payed him and his neighbours lip service.

``There has been no change to what they had already planned when they first bought the properties in 2005,'' Mr Harbridge said.

``I think they have just gone through the motions.''

``The local MP [David Borger] said he supported us and would go against his own party, but he didn't carry it in Parliament.

``We are not sure how much he really did behind the scenes.''