Redbridge

Maintenance and upgrade works - Redbridge site

Our facility in Redbridge has been operational since 1981, supplying gas to Redbridge and the surrounding area.

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintain the gas supply, we need to carry out some works to our Redbridge site; these works will lengthen the life of this key asset and improve its security; this will enable us to continue to effectively meet peak gas demand across this area of London in the years to come. This programme of work has been developed by the Government’s Health and Safety Executive, the energy regulator Ofgem, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

What we need to doMinimal Impact StrategyRedbridge Lane West AllotmentsMain project compound TimelineDocumentsContact us

What we need to do

The map provides a bird’s eye view of the existing site in Redbridge where we need to carry out the following maintenance and improvements:

Replacement of some equipment on our main Redbridge Lane West site: including various modifications to mechanical equipment and pipe supports amongst others.

Modification of smaller adjacent Cadent site: we need to carry out modifications to this site as the metal ladders and platforms within the valve pits have corroded over the years, hindering safe access and egress for our personnel and therefore need to be replaced.

Noise: our work will aim to mitigate noise created by our above ground equipment. During construction, the team will have the latest technology, including noise-reducing elements, that will make our operations much quieter for our neighbours. Additionally, during construction we’ll monitor noise levels throughout our activities at site and do all we can to keep them to a minimum.

Fencing: to improve the safety of the site, we will be replacing the perimeter fence with higher specification fencing.

In order to facilitate this work, we will need to carry out the following:

Some vegetation/tree removal: to ensure that we can keep the required safety clearance to the fence. We’ve carried out ecological surveys and are working with the Redbridge Neighbourhood Street Scene Team as well as a specialist Consultant to ensure that we carry out the work as safely and practically as possible, with minimal environmental impact. We will replace 5 trees for every 1 tree removed.

Temporary site compound set up: this will need an area of a minimum of 2,500m2 and will only be installed temporarily whilst construction takes place. We need to establish a temporary compound with good access for construction vehicles so we can carry out our work safely. The compound will include a main project office, welfare facilities for our employees, space storage of some of the plant, machinery and equipment, parking for HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) and enough space for these to manoeuvre around the compound area.

Our Redbridge site is in the dense urban environment so identifying a suitable location for the compound, has proved challenging. Our Land and Planning teams carried out thorough investigations and originally found Redbridge Lane West Allotments to be the most suitable location that allows direct access to our site.

Area required for the project work centered image

We have redesigned the area to use the least amount of space possible and have been able to reduce the size of the initial proposed compound set up at Redbridge Lane West Allotments. We will only need to use 9 allotments.

This compound will only be used for:

To provide safe access to the construction area (One way system)
Minimal welfare facilities required by law
Storage of necessary machinery and construction equipment
Safe turning space for deliveries

How the work will impact your allotment centered image

Redbridge Lane West Allotments

The disruption of our works to individual allotment holders will vary according to their plot’s location; we have arranged these plots into various groups according to the level of impact.

The allotment holders whose plots are situated in the area of our proposed compound will be asked to temporarily vacate their plots while the works are carried out – these plots are marked as orange and pink on the above map. There are some points for the allotment holders occupying the plots outlined in orange or pink to consider:
For some, on your return we may need to adjust plot boundaries to ensure that we allow enough space to fulfil the minimum safety clearance requirements to the new fence. We have tried our hardest to minimise the number of plots whose boundary may be affected, and have managed to bring the number of affected plots down to five, these are shown on the above map in orange.

For those being asked to temporarily vacate their plot, we want to work closely with you to come up with a strategy that works best for all involved. We will offer an array of possibilities: from moving to an alternative plot temporarily or permanently to requesting a two-year holiday from the allotment. If allotment holders would like to work with us to come up with a plan which works best for them, we will be conducting one to one sessions to discuss next steps.

We are pleased that the remainder of the allotment holders will be able to stay at their plots throughout construction. Some allotment holders may be affected by, for instance, by being closest to the construction zone hoarding that will be in place to screen our work. These are indicated in purple on the Redbridge Lane West allotment map. We are pleased that the plots indicated in green will not be affected directly by the works.

We know that those allotment holders who will be able to carry on using their plot during the work will still be able to see and hear the works taking place; we strive to be a considerate neighbour at all times and will share our plans on how we will reduce this impact during construction post Detailed Design, which is being undertaken now. We also welcome any ideas allotment holders may have for how we can make the construction time a more pleasant experience.