Businesses fear gas works will hit trade

8:40am Thursday 22nd May 2008

Comments (4)   Have your say »

Southampton business owners fear months of road works in part of the city will hit their trade.

It is the second blow to business for Portswood traders in as many years.

The £381,000 project to replace 1,200 metres of metal gas pipes with plastic polyethylene ones in Portswood Road is set to cause major disruption.

Many business owners have said the work to be carried out by Southern Gas Networks should have been undertaken when the same stretch of road was dug up as part of Southampton City Council's Pave the Way' improvement project two years ago.

Motorists who use the route as a major thoroughfare, particularly those living in Portswood and Highfield, will also be badly hit by the roadworks.

Jerry Gillen of the Highfield Residents' Association said: "As an association we are very sympathetic to the traders and the local residents.

"I do not know why it was not done with the Portswood improvement scheme. The council should have approached the utility companies so that their work could have been dovetailed in at the same time.

"It will have a detrimental effect on the local community."

A Southern Gas Networks spokesman today insisted that throughout the programmed works all of the business premises would remain accessible.

No compensation packages are being offered but the gas company has said it would treat any business's application for compensation on its own merit.

The spokesman added: "It is essential work we are doing here to secure the gas supply to the area. We have sent in the region of 3,000 letters to businesses and residents.

"Staff will be on site throughout so anyone who has an issue can talk to staff directly to ensure that there is minimal disruption."

Southern Gas Networks said that it had to apply to Southampton City Council for permission to carry out the repairs. A city council spokesman said that the council did try to work with utility companies where possible.

Preliminary work got underway this week between the junctions with Belmont Road and the crossroads with Highfield Lane and St Deny's Road.

From Monday the High Street will be closed to westbound traffic for 16 weeks between Brookvale Road and the Highfield Lane crossroads. Afterwards the contractors move to Lodge Road and Brookvale Road.