Wales & West Utilities will shortly be starting work to upgrade the gas pipes in the Torquay Road area of Paignton and is inviting members of the local community to hear more about the plans.
The £650,000 investment work to upgrade over 3 kilometres of pipes, is being carried out in phases, with the first phase starting on 29 July. The project 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.
Members of the local community are invited to the drop-in session which will take place between 9.30am – 3.30pm on 23 July at Paignton SNU Spiritualist Church and Centre, Manor Corner, Paignton TQ3 2HL. Here they’ll be able to view plans and direct any questions to members of the project team.
Wales & West Utilities has liaised with Torbay Council to plan the work and traffic management will be required. This currently involves:
- A road closure on Cecil Road, from the A3022 Torquay Road to the junction of Mill Lane (29 July – 2 September)
Phase 1 - Works on Torbay Bay (2 – 23 September)
- Two-way rolling traffic lights on Torbay Road, with parking restrictions between the entrance to Brunel Academy to Texaco Garage
- A one-way system on Kings’ Road and Kings’ Road rear.
Phase 2 (23 September – 14 October)
- Three-way traffic lights and parking suspensions will be in place at the junction of Oldaway Mansion entrance
- A lane closure on Torbay Road from Sainsburys to AMS
Phase 3 (14 October – 25 November)
- A directional closure on Torquay Road, from Manor Road to Paris Road, allowing Northbound traffic to Torquay only
- A road closure on Langs Road junction with Torbay Road.
- A road closure on Upper Manor Road between the junctions of Torquay Road and Old Torquay Road
- A one-way system on Paris Road and Morin Road (from the junction of Paris Road to Manor Road)
Wales & West Utilities Abby Smith is managing this gas pipe upgrade work. He said:
We’d like to see members of the local community at our drop-in event so that we can share plans of the work.
While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across Paignton. 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.
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.
Alternatively, you can contact us on X, formerly Twitter, @WWUtilities or https://www.facebook.com/wwutilities.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.