Work begins today (4 Nov) on the second and final phase of a major £1million boost to the gas network in Leigh, to ensure homes can stay warm in the coldest of winters.
Cadent, which manages the North West’s 21,000-mile underground gas network, is installing big new mains to meet demand in extreme weather like ‘Beast from the East’.
The work also gets the main heating source for Leigh – nearly 90% of homes in the area use gas for central heating – ready for the introduction of greener gases like hydrogen.
Teams from Leigh-based specialists PGL Pipelines, which Cadent has appointed to carry out the work, are today setting up in Newton Road, close to Tarnway, Lowton.
Between now and the middle of December, they will install 500 metres of tough plastic pipe that’s roughly the same diameter of a football. It will help distribute gas to 4,500 properties.
This phase will be completed in three stages, each between 100 and 200 metres, moving towards the East Lancashire Road. All roads stay OPEN. Between 7am and 7pm, manned ‘stop-go’ traffic management will be in place, to safely move vehicles around the work area. Overnight, these will be replaced with traffic lights. The engineers will be working seven days a week.
The same team has also been installing new mains along Atherleigh Way and Lovers Lane. The pipe now in place there is on its week-long ‘test’ phase, checking everything is working safely and reliably. Once that test is complete, the team will reinstate the road and depart for good.
Andy Cleaver, Design Senior Analyst, Cadent, who is overseeing this work, said: “In total this is 3.7km of new gas mains installed in the Leigh area, reinforcing the network and putting us in a good place to make sure gas reaches every home through even the coldest of winters.
“It’s also making sure our network can safely carry greener gases in the future, such as hydrogen, which will have a big role in the UK achieving its net-zero carbon emission targets.”
Cadent in the North West
Cadent manages the 21,000 miles of gas mains that run under North West England. These carry gas safely to 2.7 million properties in the region. If placed end to end, that amount of pipes would run from Leigh to Sydney, Australia, and back again.
Working from 14 depots, from Kendal to Crewe, Cadent also provides the North West’s 24/7, 365-day gas emergency service. Always ring 0800 111 999 immediately if you smell gas, day or night. This is the number for the national gas emergency service.