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, and from 9.00am to 4.00pm on Saturday.
You can also email us any time at [email protected]
Cadent is investing over £3.4million in our gas network, in Benfleet and Canvey Island, over the next couple of years. This investment will ensure the network is ready to carry low-carbon gas, like hydrogen, which is essential for the UK to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.
By replacing 13km (over eight miles) of the old metallic pipes, with new more durable plastic pipes in the area, we will ensure a safe and reliable gas supply for the future.
The new durable plastic pipes are expected to last over eighty years and will help reduce the amount of unplanned work to repair ageing gas pipes in the future, if left undisturbed.
We need to replace 13 km, that’s over eight miles of gas pipes, in the two areas over the next two years, starting from February 2023.
We will be completing the work in phases, smaller sections at a time, to enable us to reduce the disruption to road users and the communities.
Residents will be kept informed of the different phases, traffic management and if their gas supply will be temporarily impacted at the beginning of each phase. We will also be lettering/leafleting residents along the effected roads to ensure they are informed before any work starts.
We are pleased to be working closely with local Essex County Councillors to help us look at the needs of the community.
During the course of the work, where possible, we will endeavour to remove the individual gas regulator (the green garden box) feeding each property.
We are sorry for the disruption this may cause. Please be assured any excavations we make will be reinstated on a like for like basis once our engineering work is complete. Any reinstatement is also guaranteed for a period of two years.
Work starts again for the next phases of work in Benfleet.
N.B. We will be working over the Easter Bank Holiday due to the road closure, to complete the work as safely and quickly as possible.
Saturday 30 March 2024
Kents Hill Road / Bowers Road - Two weeks
Saturday 30 March 2024
High Road/Essex Way - Two weeks
Monday 15 April 2024
Vicarage Hill (Junction of High Road – Kings Hill) – Three weeks
We understand this will be disruptive for you and apologise in advance for the inconvenience. Please be assured we will be doing everything we can to minimise the impact to the community whilst we are investing in the gas network to make it more reliable and durable in the future. During the time we are working in your road we will make sure you are still able to get to your properties or businesses and will ensure that diversion routes for local traffic are clearly marked.
We are waiting for the last piece of the reinstatement to be completed. Once this has finished we will arrange for traffic management to be removed and the site will be cleared.
The team will be returning in April 2024 half term, where we will be completing the final phase on Kents Hill/Bowers Road outside of the school.
Thank you for your continued patience.
Due to some emergency water by the local water company, four way traffic lights have been installed at the junction of Kents Hill Road and London Road. This meaning we are unable to move our traffic management on the final phase of works, until they have completed their work.
We are currently anticipating this will be next Monday, (02/10/23). We will keep you informed if our traffic management can be removed before next week.
There is one more phase remaining on Kent’s Hill Road. After this phase is complete, we will be returning in April 2024 to complete Bowers Road.
The team is currently reinstating the previous phase of the project and working towards removing the traffic management on site. Further updates will be provided once available.
Vicarage Hill site is clear and we will be returning in April 2024 to complete the last phase on High Road and Vicarage Hill.
Hockley Road is site clear. We will be returning to complete Hambro Close on the 6th October, then Hambro Hill in August 2024.
Thank you for your patience and understanding so far on this project.
Vicarage Hill is awaiting site clearance.
We will return in April 2024 half term to complete the last phase on Essex Way/High Road then follow on to complete the last phase of Vicarage Hill.
Kents Hill Road has moved north of Bowers Road to complete another two phases.
We will return in April 2024 half term to complete the last phase on Bowers Road.
We have now completed all engineering works on Hockley Road and High Road. The area will soon be reinstated and the site cleared, we anticipated that this will be completed by end of next week.
Work is due to start in Hambro Close on 18 September.
Unfortunately, we have had issues with gaining access to the schools on Kent’s Hill Road in order to replace their mains gas supply. This means we will be re-connecting the mains a few meters South of The Holy Family School before the children return to school. Then, we will go to the very North of the project and complete the two phases heading South towards Bowers Road. We are planning to return in April 2024 half term to complete the last phase of works at the junction of Bowers Road (outside the school).
We will provide further details, following this update
High Road has been replaced up to the layby at St Mary’s Close and we are planning to return and close Essex Way in April 2024 half term. We also have 50m left to do on Vicarage Hill, which will also be completed in April 2024 under a road closure.
The road closures will not be done at the same time. There have been many engineering challenges to overcome, including the existing gas main pipe being situated under garden walls. We also had to change and adapt our engineering methods due to the conditions found on site.
High Road will be clear today and Vicarage Hill will be clear on 15th September 2023.
We will provide further details, following this update
Please see the latest updates on our progress over the next few weeks. N.B. these timings are subject to change at short notice but should give you a good indication of where we will be on each section over the next few weeks.
| Phase | Duration (approximate) | Traffic management |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 weeks (22 July – 5 August) | Road closure on Vicarage Hill with 2 way lights on High Road. |
| 2 | 2 weeks (6 August – 19 August) | 2 way lights on High Road only (the road closure on Vicarage Hill will be removed) |
| 3 | 2 weeks (20 August – 3 Sept) | Road closure on the junction of Essex Way with 2 way lights on High Road |
| Phase | Duration (approximate) | Traffic management |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2.5 weeks (starting approx. 22/7/23) | 2-way lights on Kents Hill Road with road closure on the junctions of Clifton Avenue |
| 8 | 2.5 weeks | 2-way lights on Kents Hill Road with road closure on the junction of Villa Road |
| 9 | 2.5 weeks | 3-way lights on Kents Hill Road and Almere with road closure on the junction of Albion Road |
| 10 | 2.5 weeks | 2-way lights on Kents Hill Road between Albion Road and Bowers Road |
| 11 | 2.5 weeks | 2-way lights on Kents Hill Road with road closure on the junctions of Bowers Road |
| 12 | 2.5 weeks | 2-way lights on Kents Hill Road between Bowers Road and London Road |
We have now moved onto the next section of Kents Hill Road. This section requires a closure of both junctions of Oakfield Road, with two way lights on Kents Hill Road.
We are currently running slightly behind schedule due to engineering difficulties replacing some of the current service pipes.
Work on Vicarage Hill has now started.
We are currently working on Phase 3 of the project which is from the junction of Melcombe Road to the junction of Cumberland Avenue. Again this work is completed in different stages, as we move along the road.
There are two-way lights on Kents Hill Road and both junctions of Cumberland Avenue are closed. We are slightly behind schedule due to difficulties relaying the services.
For your information -
Phase 1 of work was completed as planned during Easter half term. As a gesture of good will, we repaired numerous pot holes outside the businesses on High Road. For this to be done, the existing permits for two-way lights on High Road and the closure of Kents Hill Road were extended by one day.
The traffic management for phase 1 was removed on Monday 17 April and phase 2 was installed. This included a closure on the junction of Melcombe Road and two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road.
The next phase of works starts on Saturday 1st April along Kents Hill Road for 18 weeks.
Map of all stages below and on Maps tab.
Most of the stages over the next 18 weeks will be completed by inserting the new gas pipe into the existing gas main. This is called 'insertion'.
However, there are few sections where we will have to use a method called 'open cut' . This is where we will have to dig a larger excavation and lay the pipe in the excavation and/or make connections to our existing pipe network.
We are doing everything possible to reduce the disruption to residents/businesses and traffic.
Stage 1:
100m of open cut from the junction of High Road to outside 24 Kents Hill Road
Kents Hill will be closed with two way traffic lights on the High Road
Access will be maintained for the Shell Garage (Entrance on High Road and exit heading North on Kents Hill Road)
Access for residents within the closure will be from the north end of the closure.
Stage 2:
100m of open cut from outside of 24 Kents Hill Road to the junction of Melcombe Road
The junction with Melcombe Road will be closed with two way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion.
Stage 3:
120m of gas main will be inserted into an existing pipe from the junction of Melcombe Road to the junction of Cumberland Avenue
The junction of Cumberland Avenue will be closed with two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion.
Stage 4:
100m of insertion from the junction of Cumberland Avenue to the junction of Oakfield Road
The junction of Oakfield Road will be closed with two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion.
Stage 5:
100m of insertion from the junction of Oakfield Road to the junction of Kimberley Road
The junction of Kimberley Road will be closed with two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion.
Stage 6:
150m of insertion from the junction Kimberley Road to the junction of Clifton Avenue
The junction of Clifton Avenue will be closed with two-way lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, follow diversion
Stage 7:
100m of insertion from the junction of Clifton Avenue to the junction of Villa Road
There will be three-way traffic lights over Kents Hill Road and Villa Road
Stage 8:
100m of insertion of the gas pipe from the junction of Villa Road to the junction of Almere
There will be three-way traffic lights over Kents Hill Road and Almere
Stage 9:
100m of insertion of the gas pipe from the junction of Almere to outside of the Holy Family Primary School
There will be three-way traffic lights over Kents Hill Road and Albion Road
Stage 10:
100m of insertion from out side of the Holy Family Primary School to the juncitn of Bowers Road
The junction of Bowers Road will be closed with two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion
Stage11:
80m of insertion in Bowers Road from the junction of Kents Hill Road to the junction of Felstead Road
This section, the junctions will be closed, with no traffic management on Kents Hill Road
For access, please follow the diversion
Stage 12:
110m of insertion from the junction of Bowers Road to outside of 312 Kents Hill Road
There will be two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road only
Stage 13:
100m of insertion from outside of 312 Kents Hill Road to outside of 338 Kents Hill Road
There will be two-way traffic lights on Kents Hill Road only
This section of works will be completed.
Phase 1
The first phase of work will start on Monday 20 February on Mount Road, Benfleet for approximately 16 weeks.
Stage 1 – Three weeks
Replace 108m of existing gas pipe from the junction with Underhill Road and up to the junction with Fernlea Road.
Stage 2 – Three weeks
Replace 100m of existing gas pipe from the junction with Fernlea Road and up to the junction with Southwell Road.
Stage 3 – Two weeks
Replace a further 50m of existing gas pipe from the junction with Southwell Road.
Stage 4 – Three weeks
Replace 100m of existing gas pipe from the junction with London Road.
Stage 5 – Three weeks
Replace a further 100m of existing gas pipe continuing south down Mount Road.
Stage 6 – One and half weeks
Replace 50m of existing gas pipe on Mount Crescent, starting at the junction with Mount Road
We are investing over £3.4million in our gas network, in Benfleet and Canvey Island, over the next couple of years. This investment will ensure the network is ready to carry low-carbon gas, like hydrogen, which is essential for the UK to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.
By replacing 13km (over eight miles) of the old metallic pipes, with new more durable plastic pipes in the area, we will ensure a safe and reliable gas supply for the future.
The new durable plastic pipes are expected to last over eighty years and will help reduce the amount of unplanned work to repair ageing gas pipes in the future, if left undisturbed.
Due to the nature of the work involved, we have planned to deliver it in a number of phases to maximise efficiency and minimise disruption.
Residents will be kept informed of the different phases, traffic management and if their gas supply will be temporarily impacted at the beginning of each phase. We will also be lettering/leafleting residents along the effected roads to ensure they are informed before any work starts.
To deliver the work safely, traffic management will be put in place during each phase of the work.
We will provide updates at each phase to let you know what the traffic management will be. This might include road closures, lane closures and traffic lights.
In your property is on a road where we are replacing the gas pipes, then we will need to turn off your gas supply for a short period of time, starting from approximately 7.30-8.30am until approximately 8pm at night. We will keep send you a letter if this directly affects you to let you know when this will be.
If you haven’t got gas by 7:30pm, please call our customer care team on 0800 085 4478 and let them know.
We do appreciate this is still a long time, so before we turn off the gas supply, our team will providealternative heating and cooking facilities as applicable, to households where an occupant is registered on the Priority Services Register (PSR) or eligible to be registered.
Our work to replace ageing gas mains is a major engineering project and we are working hard to complete it as soon as we can to ensure you receive a safe and reliable gas supply for the future.
Where possible we try to reduce the duration of our works and their impact. The project has been carefully planned with the local authority, so it is carried out as efficiently as possible.
We use innovative methods and technology to minimise disruption and reduce the time taken to do this work.
The amount of road space taken up will vary throughout the project and will be minimised at all times. The size of our area of work takes into account the size and location of the pipes, movement of machinery and equipment and the safety of our workforce and the public.
Although it may appear that no one is working on site, it doesn’t mean that work has been completed. We need to be able to work at different locations to insert pipes, make connections and to carry out testing. It is only once we are satisfied that the new pipe is safely supplying gas to customers that we can fill in the excavation and clear up the site.
Once the pipes have been laid, another team will start filling in the holes. This may take a few days, as we will do it in stages, so the material has time to settle. If we have had to dig holes on your property, we’ll fill them in and replace the patch we’ve removed with seed, tarmac or paving within five working days. This work will have a two-year warranty. If you have a concrete imprint drive, our specialist contractors will restore the patch surface so this may take a little longer.
Where possible we will also endeavour to remove the individual gas regulator (the green garden box) feeding your property.
If your business is showing a clear loss of gross profit, please visit our website to check the qualifying criteria and how to contact us. Small Bussiness Claim
Yes, with the new plastic mains we can increase the pressure and carry more gas to deal with any increase in demand in the future.
