A North Yorkshire councillor has praised the region’s gas emergency service after violent weather caused major disruption to Skinningrove’s gas supply in September.

Gas supplies were severely disrupted when a bridge over the Skinningrove Beck carrying a gas main collapsed due to a combination of heavy rainfall and sheer volume of water. The bridge collapse caused major damage to a low pressure gas main resulting in the loss of supply to homes and businesses in the village and risk to the medium pressure gas main.

Engineers from Northern Gas Networks worked throughout the night to tackle the problem on Mill Lane despite torrential rain, howling winds and the village being put onto full flood alert.

Northern Gas Networks, Site Manager, Steve Pigott said:

“Our team are well prepared to deal with emergency repairs such as this but the weather on that night made our work much more difficult to carry out.

” We successfully created a temporary bypass for the gas supply and within 24 hours we had majority onto the network as normal.”

Engineers set up an incident information room at the Skinningrove Village Hall where residents could call in for advice or more practical help including collecting electric heaters and stoves.

Councillor Barry Hunt of Brotton Ward was delighted with the way Northern Gas Engineers helped the village during the storms.

“I’ve worked with a lot of utilities and I must say that the way that Northern Gas Networks worked and communicated with the village was excellent.

“They distributed stoves and heaters to the more vulnerable members of our community and made sure that everyone was kept informed during the gas disruption. They displayed a great team spirit and I’m also very proud of the way that the villagers took it all in their stride too.”

The engineering work is now coming to an end with the gas main reinstated permanently onto the bridge and reinforced with a steel protective section.

Anyone who smells gas should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are carrying out work to repair a damaged gas main this weekend in North Kirklees at the Frost Hill A62 junction with Bradford Road.

In order to carry out this essential work safely and efficiently, it has been necessary to install temporary four way traffic lights at the junction.

Wayne Stones, Network Officer, Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We’ve established the cause of the gas escape by using CCTV inside the mains and our engineers are working hard to repair the escape as soon as possible.

“We’d like to apologise to pedestrians and motorists for any inconvenience caused while these essential repairs are carried out. To minimise traffic congestion, we are manning the temporary traffic lights from 7am to 7pm to control the traffic flow. We hope to complete this essential emergency work before Monday morning’s rush hour.

“The safety of members of the public is always our first priority and we’d like to thank everyone for their cooperation.

“Anyone who smells gas should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.”

Northern Gas Networks will be carrying out essential works to replace 650m of ageing metal gas mains in Harrogate with new durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued, safe and reliable supply of gas for years to come.

The essential work will commence on Tuesday 19 November and will take an estimated two months to complete.

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently, it will be necessary to place temporary traffic lights on Skipton Road between Regent Avenue and Devonshire Place for a three-week period.

Garry Farnhill, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said; “We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding, and apologise in advance for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.”

“To minimise traffic congestion on Skipton Road we will be manning the traffic lights between 7am and 7pm to help ease the flow of traffic. This essential work forms part of an ongoing mains replacement programme which will see Northern Gas Networks replace more than 3,000km of gas pipe across the north of England by 2020.”

If you have any questions about the works please don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Care team on 0845 634 0508, option 7.  The team is available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturday.

Northern Gas Networks is investing £290,000 to upgrade the ageing gas distribution network in Durham city centre.
The major project is part of NGN’s ongoing development of infrastructure across the north of England and will involve replacing 830 metres of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to our customers in Durham for years to come.

The project will commence in January and will be carried out in three phases to minimise city centre disruption. The work is scheduled for completion in May 2014.

John Richardson, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said; “We’ve developed a phased plan for this project by working closely with Durham County Council to minimise disruption to motorists, residents and local businesses.”
As part of this project, Northern Gas Networks will be working in the Millburngate (junction of Millburngate towards Framwellgate Bridge) and North Road areas of the city.

In order to carry out this essential work safely and efficiently, at various stages throughout the project it will be necessary to put traffic management systems such as road / lane closures in place, and make some changes to the one way system. It will also be necessary to suspend some parking bays and restrict / limit access for deliveries.
Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times throughout the project.

John Richardson added; “We would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience this essential work may cause. We’ll be keeping customers informed throughout by holding community forums at key stages of the work, providing an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions or raise any concerns. We will also be sharing regular updates on Twitter and Facebook.”

The first Northern Gas Networks community forum will be held on Tuesday, 19 November from 14.00 to 16.30 at St Nicholas Church, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ.

A second forum will be held on Friday, 13 December between 14:00 to 16:30 at the same location.

If you have any questions about the works please don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Care team on 0845 634 0508, option 7. The team is available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturday.

Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are carrying out work to repair a damaged gas main on Hookstone Road in Harrogate (near the entrance to Hornbeam Park).
In order to carry out this essential work safely and efficiently, it has been necessary to install temporary traffic lights on Hookstone Road.

Garry Farnhill, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks, said: “There is currently a strong smell of gas in the area but the situation is safe. Our engineers are working hard to repair the escape as soon as possible.

“We’d like to apologise to pedestrians and motorists for any inconvenience caused while these essential repairs are carried out. The safety of members of the public is always our first priority and we’d like to thank everyone for their cooperation.”

“Anyone who smells gas should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.”

A Northern Gas Networks’ project to replace 1.2km of ageing metal pipe in York city centre is well underway, with the fifth phase of the project reaching completion four weeks ahead of schedule on Monday, 28th October.

Our team of highly skilled engineers have pulled out all the stops to complete the High Ousegate phase of the work well in advance of the busy Christmas trading period. To minimise disruption and excavation, the team has used ‘keyhole’ techniques to insert the new plastic gas pipe inside the existing metal pipe. Garry Farnhill, Customer Operations Area Manager said: “All our work has being carried out in close consultation with City of York Council, and we have taken every measure available to minimise disruption to residents, motorists and business owners. “I would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding throughout the project.”

The major upgrade involves replacing the town’s existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes which will ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to our customers in York for years to come. So far, 1km of plastic pipe has been laid, with a further 200m to go. Richard Wood, Assistant Director of City & Environmental Services at City of York Council said: “This is an important upgrade for York, which is set to benefit thousands of residents and businesses. We’re pleased with the progress Northern Gas Networks has made and it’s great news that the works reached completion four weeks ahead of schedule, which will no doubt help minimise disruption during our busy build up to Christmas.”

The next phase of the project will commence in the new year, with work being carried out in Goodramgate, Monkgate Bar and St Maurice’s Road. The project is scheduled for completion in March 2014. This essential work forms part of an ongoing mains replacement programme which will see Northern Gas Networks replace more than 3,000km of gas pipe across the north of England by 2020.

If you have any questions about the works please don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Care team on 0845 634 0508, option 7. The team is available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturday.

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Northern Gas Networks employees based at Doxford Park, Sunderland, organised a jam-packed week of activities to celebrate National Customer Service Week earlier this month, raising over £1400 for Guide Dogs for the Blind in the process.

The fundraising activities included a fancy dress day which saw employees dressed up in a wide array of outfits from Yoda to Batman, a mini Olympics tournament, quizzes and tombola.

Kevin Harris, Customer Contact Centre Manager said: “Providing excellent customer service to 2.7 million customers across our network is a top priority for us. We wanted to celebrate National Customer Service Week and use it as an opportunity to put a spring in everyone’s step, inject some extra energy and fun into the office and raise some money for charity.”

Kevin added: “Guide Dogs for the Blind is a really worthwhile charity. One of our colleagues here at Doxford Park has a guide dog, and we have all witnessed firsthand the difference these amazing animals can make to a blind person’s day to day life.”

Image: Jan Craigs and Maria Curran

Pictured below (left to right): Kevin Harris, Customer Contact Centre Manager with fancy-dress winner, Jan Craigs

Pictured below (left to right): Ann Paget and Andy Anderson

Gas supplies to a number of properties in Roddymoor Village, Crook, DL15 9 have been turned off after water got inside the gas main system.

Engineers from Northern Gas Networks have been visiting the affected properties to safely isolate gas supplies and are working hard to rectify the situation.

Northern Gas Networks would like to apologise to those affected by the temporary loss of supply and reassure customers that engineers are on site, working around the clock to restore gas supplies.

Northern Gas Networks, engineer, Andy Goodfellow says:

“The safety of our customers is our number one priority and we are currently working hard to restore gas supplies as quickly as possible to the people of Roddymoor. We appreciate their cooperation and understanding and would urge anyone who is affected to check on the welfare of neighbours, especially the elderly.”

Customers are reminded to always check the identity of anyone who calls at their door. Engineers carry ID cards and are always happy to show them.

Anyone who smells gas should call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately, calls are answered at any time of day or night and an engineer will be sent out to assess the situation promptly.

More than 60 households on one Huddersfield street are being given warmer homes in time for winter, thanks to a new fuel poverty scheme which is now underway.

Work has just begun to extend the gas mains network to 64 properties at Croftlands, Newsome, which were previously without a mains gas supply.

The project, which is being run by Northern Gas Networks and Community Energy Solutions (CES) in partnership with Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, will see 700m of new gas pipe being laid, with the work expected to be completed by the end of November.

The estimated cost of the scheme, £145,000, will be fully-funded by Northern Gas Networks as part of its on-going programme to tackle fuel poverty across the regions in which it operates.

John Peacock, Head of Connections at Northern Gas Networks, said: “Funding projects like the Croftlands mains extension forms part of Northern Gas Networks’ wider commitment to bringing affordable warmth to communities and individuals in our network area that are affected by, or at risk of, fuel poverty.

“Extending the gas mains network allows those households to access heating systems with lower running costs, greater user control and lower associated carbon emissions, which will benefit both customers and the environment.”

Once gas infrastructure works have been completed at Croftlands, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing plans to replace the properties’ existing electric storage heaters with new gas central heating systems.

This is expected to cut carbon emissions by an average 1.4 tonnes per year, per property, with householders also set to benefit from savings on their energy bills of approximately £180 per annum.

The Croftlands gas network extension is the latest in a series of similar fuel poor projects successfully undertaken through the partnership between Northern Gas Networks and Leeds-based Community Energy Solutions, which has already helped connect more than 3,500 homes across Yorkshire and the North East.

Chris Sowerbutts, Project Manager for CES, said: “The partnership between CES and Northern Gas Networks has already proven extremely successful in areas such as Wakefield and Leeds and we’re delighted to have extended our assistance into Huddersfield for the benefit of the 64 Croftlands households.”

John Whittington, Head of Investment at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing said, “We are delighted that Northern Gas Networks and CES are working with us to bring affordable warmth to residents in Croftlands and are very pleased to get the scheme underway. We are working closely with Northern Gas Networks to ensure that the project is carried out with the least disruption as possible.”

For more information about Community Energy Solutions or to see how you or your organisation could benefit please visit www.ces-cic.org or call 0113 237 2720.

Northern Gas Networks will be carrying out essential works to replace 1km of ageing metal gas mains in Pickering town centre with new durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued, safe and reliable supply of gas for years to come.

The essential work will commence on Monday, 21 October and will take an estimated six weeks to complete.

In order to carry out this work safely and efficiently, it will be necessary to put road closures in place on Bridge Street, Market Place, Willowgate, Birdgate and Smiddy Hill as the work progresses.
During the first phase of the work from Monday, 21 October, Bridge Street will be closed between Rose Inn and Park Street for approximately one week.

Market Place will be closed for approximately three weeks from Monday, 28 October, and parking will be suspended during this time. Access will be maintained for deliveries, emergency services and pedestrians.

Diversion routes will be clearly marked.

As the work progresses, it will be necessary to put a rolling road closure on Willowgate, Birdgate and Smiddy Hill. Parking on Smiddy Hill will be suspended whilst we are working in the area and members of the public are advised to use Eastgate and The Ropery public car parks.

Garry Farnhill, Customer Operations Area Manager, Northern Gas Networks said; “We have worked closely with North Yorkshire Highways and Pickering Town Council to carefully plan this work to ensure minimum disruption to motorists, residents and business owners.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding, and apologise in advance for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.”

If you have any questions about the works please don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Care team on 0845 634 0508, option 7. The team is available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am and 5pm on Saturday.