Gas pipe upgrade in Usk

Wales & West Utilities has started work to upgrade gas pipes in the Bridge Street area of Usk and on the pipeline that joins Little Mill to Usk.

The £800,000 investment work will make sure that local homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply to the area for years to come. It involves upgrading 6.5km of old metal pipes to new plastic ones. It will also involve upgrading individual supply pipes to more than 300 homes and is anticipated to be complete by Christmas 2018.

To keep the local community, road users and our colleagues safe while we work Bridge Street and Castle Parade will be closed from February 2018 to April 2018 between the junction of Castle Street and New Market Street. Once our work on Bridge Street is finished we will be using rolling two way traffic lights on A472 between Little Mill and Usk.

Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller for the area, Francis Kirk, is managing the work and said:

“Our work in Usk is essential to keep the gas flowing to heat homes and power businesses in the area and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future. 

“We have worked closely with Monmouthshire County Council to plan the best way to complete our work while keeping disruption to a minimum. 

“Working in areas like this is never easy but we will work as safely and as quickly as possible to make sure that we get the job done with minimal disruption for local people.”

Our Customer Service Team is ready to take your call if you have any questions about our work. You can contact them on freephone 0800 912 2999 or enquiries@wwwutilities.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities. 

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service that serves Wales and the south west of England, puts customers at the heart of the business and is rated the top utility company in the UK for customer service. If anyone smells gas, thinks they have a gas leak, or suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, they should call us on 0800 111 999 and our engineers will be there to help, day or night. 

The company also has a multi-million pound, 30-year gas pipe investment programme which began in 2002. Old metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings are being upgraded to new long-lasting plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 80 years, to make sure homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply now and in the future. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you doing this work?

To make sure we keep you and your family safe and warm for generations to come, we’re upgrading the gas pipes across Wales and the south west of England, changing them from old metal gas pipes to new plastic ones. We’re spending £1.4 million on this every week as part of a 30-year programme to keep the gas flowing and make sure the gas network is fit for the future. We will be investing more than £800k to upgrade more than 6.5km of gas pipes in Usk.

Will the work involve road closures? 

To keep the local community, road users and our colleague safe while we are working, Bridge Street, Castle Parade, Castle Street, Maryport Street and New Market Street have been agreed to be closed in stages between 19 February and 11 May 2018.

What diversion route will be in place?

Local diversion routes will be clearly signposted, and will be via New Market Street, Old Market Street, Church Street, Priory Street, Twyn Square, Four Ash Street and Chepstow Road. To overcome situations arising from narrow roads and allow for the traffic flow to be maintained around town Maryport Street (between junction of Old Market Street and the Junction of Mill Street), Mill Street and Old Market Street will become a one way system. Along the diversion route there will be sections of temporary urban clearways (no parking zones) preventing parking on narrow sections. These will be clearly signposted.

Will my business be affected?

If your business has a gas supply then it may need upgrading. Members of our team have been visiting all local businesses over the last few weeks to understand business specific needs and requirements. Additionally, ‘Business Open As Usual’ signs will be put up to let the community know that the businesses are still open.

What about compensation for disruption to my business?

We appreciate that while we work hard to keep disruption to a minimum, our work can impact on local businesses. Any local traders who feel their business has been adversely affected by our work can apply for compensation under the Gas (Street Works) Compensation for Small Businesses Regulations 1996. Applications will be assessed for any losses incurred that can be shown to be as a result of our work. We will deal with each case individually, responding to traders directly. If you feel your business has been affected by our work you can discuss a potential claim with our team who are visiting local businesses, or contact our Customer Service Team on 0800 912 2999 or by enquiries@wwwutilities.co.uk. Alternatively, you can contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities of Facebook.com/WWUtilities.

Will the bin men still be able to collect the rubbish?

Yes. We have liaised with Monmouthshire County Council to make arrangements.

Will the bus routes be affected?

We have made contact with the relevant bus companies that provide a service to the town. The bus companies have completed a trial run on the diversion routes provided and are confident that the bus service to the town will be maintained.

Will the emergency services be able to get through?

Yes. We will maintain access for the emergency services if needed, and the emergency services have also been informed of our work schedule.

How will you manage Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) that come to the area?

We have completed a study of the HGV’s that use the route through the town and we are contacting those companies to let them know about  our work. Advance warning signs on roads leading into Usk will be in place asking HGVs to take alternative routes, and we will be in contact with the Police where there are any breaches of the  traffic orders that we have put in place that will affect the traffic flow around town.

How are you keeping people updated?

We wrote to homes and businesses in the area with information on our work, ahead of holding a community information event, where members of our team were on hand to answer any questions from the local community. Members of our team will also be visiting local homes to update customers before the work starts in the street, while our social media and website will be kept updated. If you have any questions during our work, you can always come and visit our site office for information which will be located at the rear of the Conservative Club on Maryport Street.

What are you doing to support older/the more vulnerable in the community while you are working?

We know there are people who will need additional support during our work, and our project team will work closely with them to make sure their needs are met.