Update - 20:00 01/03/2022
We are satisfied that buildings close to the location of a leak on a gas main under Parliament Street and Whitehall are now safe to be reoccupied, apart from the Red Lion pub (where low-level gas readings remain).
This was communicated to the estate managers of 49 to 54 Parliament Street (the buildings impacted). We have advised they only use entrances that are not on Parliament Street, for the time being, to ensure everyone is safe.
We hope that, from around 9am tomorrow morning (Wednesday), our current closure of Parliament Street and Whitehall can be removed for pedestrians only. Westminster City Council agrees that the road should stay closed to vehicles, for now.
Our teams continue work onsite to repair this gas leak. It is a very challenging job, partly due to its proximity to other underground utilities. For clarity, we do not expect there to be any impact on gas supply while we carry out this work.
Update - 21:00 28/02/2022
Our engineers are continuing work this evening on the challenging repair of a leak on a gas pipe that runs deep under Whitehall / Parliament Street, London.
This work started immediately after the successful removal earlier this afternoon of a very large crane that had been in position directly above it.
Our team has been monitoring gas readings and liaising with the owners of 49 to 54 Parliament Street, regarding when it will be safe to reoccupy these buildings. A further update on that will be provided early tomorrow morning. There are positive signs that readings are reducing, but we need to be absolutely sure it is safe to reoccupy the buildings. Safety is always our top priority.
Work continues through the evening to find where the gas is coming from and, once located, start the work to repair it.
We will be meeting with Westminster City Council tomorrow to confirm ongoing traffic management arrangements. The Council has agreed that the existing road closure should remain in place into tomorrow. This is a full closure of Whitehall / Parliament Street, from Derby Gate to Horse Guards Avenue. Access is maintained to Derby Gate itself.
Update - 19:00 27/02/2022
Gas emergency engineers from Cadent are continuing their work on Whitehall and Parliament Street this evening to monitor and investigate the source of a gas escape in the area.
James Harrison, North London Network Director, Cadent, explained, “ We have been monitoring the situation throughout the day. However, we need the large crane at the junction of Derby Gate, King Charles Street and Parliament Street to be removed before we can complete our emergency repair work.
“We are working closely with the construction crane company. The removal of the crane will take some time and we estimate that we won’t able to start our work until Monday morning. Their existing road closure from Horse Guards Avenue to Parliament Square will remain in place until Tuesday morning. Pedestrian access is also closed along Parliament Street for safety reasons.
“A number of properties along Parliament Street from the Cenotaph to the junction with Derby Gate have been advised to work from home on Monday due to the noise and for safety reasons.
“We will have emergency engineers on site throughout the night, with new engineering teams ready to start our emergency work as soon as possible, on Monday morning.
“Our priority is keeping everyone safe, and they are.”
09:30 - 27/02/2022
Our emergency teams were called out early this morning (27 Feb) to a report of a smell of gas.
We are investigating the source of that now. We suspect it’s coming from a main under the road, not far from the Cenotaph.
Our priority is keeping everyone safe, and they are. We have all the resources on-site now to deal with this.
We are working with teams who are constructing a huge crane in Whitehall, as we need to dig down to inspect a gas main that’s underneath it. This may take some time.
Whitehall has been closed in both directions, please bear with us.