WALES & West Utilities is starting "essential" work to upgrade the gas pipes in the Furnham Road area of Chard.

The project, which begins on Friday, October 25, is essential to ensure the gas is kept flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses, keeping people safe and warm for generations to come.

As part of the project, it has been agreed with Somerset Council that traffic management will be in place. This involves:

  • Two-way traffic lights on Furnham Road and Hornsbury Hill, whilst a road closure will be in place on Thorndun Park Drive, where there will be no access out onto Furnham Road or into Thorndun Park Drive on its junction with Furnham Road (October 25 - November 3)
  • Following this there will be a closure on the t-junction of Furzehill (November 18 – December 20)

These works are being carried out in preparation for a wider £1.7 million collaborative project between Somerset Council, Wessex Water and Wales & West Utilities, which will help to alleviate sewer flooding and upgrade gas pipes near the town centre.

These works will take place during 2025, and further information will be shared in due course.

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5 million people across the southwest of England and Wales.

If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call: 0800 111 999 straight away, and engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.

You can contact them on freephone 0800 912 2999.

Alternatively, you can contact them on X, formerly Twitter, @WWUtilities or https://www.facebook.com/wwutilities. 

Roxanne Whittaker, of Wales & West Utilities, is managing this gas pipe upgrade work. She said: “While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across Chard. Whether it’s heating your home, making the family dinner or having a hot bath, we understand how important it is for your gas supply to be safe and reliable and there when you need it.

“We know that working in areas like this is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area, and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future. We’ll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.

“This work is essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses today, and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, so we can all play our part in a green future.”