Customer CentreIf you have any immediate concerns you would like to discuss, you can call our customer care centre on 0800 085 4478.
We are open from 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday.
You can also email us any time at [email protected]
We have developed a project to fully replace nearly 800 metres of metal pipes along the A13, London Road from Sadler Hall Farm roundabout to the junction with Rushbottom Lane and High Road.
The existing pipes were laid over 80-100 years ago and over the years there have been multiple repairs, resulting in extensive traffic management. This project will eliminate the need for recurrent repairs and also enhance the reliability of our gas network to ensure customers are safe and warm long into the future.
We are carrying out these works in a number of phases with different traffic management requirements which include: lane and road closures.
There will be a lane closure from 9:30-14:30 each day from Saddlers Hall Farmhouse to Thirlmere (Saddlers Villas) on London Road.*
There will be minimal impact on the road but there may be some road incursion from
Thirlmere (Saddlers Villas) London Road to the junction of Clare Road.
There will be a lane closure 9:30-14:30 each day from 43 to 85 London Road.*
A lane closure will be in place during off peak hours due to high volume of traffic and nearby schools’ traffic.
There will be a full road closure from 85 London Road to the junction of Rushbottom Lane, then from the junction of Rushbottom Lane to 127 London Road.
Then there will be a lane closure on High Road from junction of London Road to outside 665 High Road. Rushbottom Lane to remain open throughout.
All bus stops will be suspended and buses diverted during Phase 4.
Engineering teams will be working extended hours.
Example of the hours and work to be completed:
Engineering teams: Monday to Friday: 07:00 – 19:00
Reinstatement teams: Saturday: 08:00-16:00 and Sunday: 09:00-13:00 to reinstate the road surfaces.
Our work to replace ageing gas mains is a major engineering project, which we’ve planned carefully with the local authority and where possible, we’ll use innovative methods and technology to minimise disruption and reduce the time taken to do this work.
We are working extended hours but not 24hrs. We do not want to disturb people at night when they are sleeping.
We need to carry out our work during the day as we need access to properties to upgrade their gas service (that’s the smaller pipe that connects gas to their property). When we do this, we need to turn off their gas supply temporarily, test their gas appliances and turn their gas back on.
We’ve notified the bus companies of our works and plans are in place for buses to follow the diversions. Bus stop suspensions will be in place during the final phase of works.
This is a common question we encounter; we’ve contacted the refuse companies to advise them of our work and we’ll work closely with them to ensure collections take place as normal on the dedicated day each week.
There may be times when the team isn’t visible on site during the allotted hours. Although it may appear that no one is working at the site itself, they’ll be working in surrounding roads to insert pipes, make connections and to carry out testing, as well as allow for concrete curing. It is only once we are satisfied that the new pipe is safely supplying gas to customers that we can fill in the holes and tidy up.
Should the need arise, emergency vehicles will need to follow the short diversions.
Yes, we will maintain access to properties during road closures.
Yes, we will endeavour to keep footpaths open as the majority of our pipes are in the carriageway
Yes, HGV’s will need to follow the signposted diversions.
