Upgrading the gas network in Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge
Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distributor for the North of England, will be carrying out essential gas network upgrade work in Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge, to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to local homes and businesses.
The ageing metal pipework is being replaced by new, more durable plastic pipes, to ensure a safe and reliable supply of gas to customers now, while getting the network ready to transport alternative greener fuels in the future.
The work will start on Monday 13th June 2022, and is expected to last for seven weeks, having been planned in collaboration with Calderdale Council. The project has been planned to take place before the August summer holiday period, when visitor numbers to Heptonstall are at their peak.
To complete the project safely and to minimise the length of disruption as much as possible, NGN will be bringing in additional engineering teams to carry out work at several locations at the same time.
Due to the unique geography of the area, pioneering engineering techniques and specialist equipment will be used in order to minimise impact on the environment.
Our teams will also be working hard to ensure the preservation of Heptonstall’s historic Yorkshire cobblestones during the works, and that all road and foothpath surfaces are returned as closely to their existing state as possible after the project is completed.
Customer Care in Heptonstall
From Wednesday 15th June a customer hub will be based at Heptonstall Social and Bowling Club, Acre Lane HX7 7LT every Wednesday throughout the project, with a member of NGN’s Customer Care team available to talk to face to face between 10am and 2pm.
Customer care officers are liaising with local businesses and schools on the works and provide ongoing updates as work progresses.
Traffic management
So engineers can carry out the work safely and efficiently, and to protect the public, traffic management measures will in place throughout the seven-week scheme.
Because the work is being completed in phases, traffic management will be introduced in several locations between Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge at the same time.
Traffic management will be manned between the hours of 7am and 7pm every day, to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
NGN will share weekly updates on traffic management plans via this dedicated project webpage and on Twitter and Facebook.
To see the full traffic management plan, please click here. Please bear in mind this could be subject to change as the project progresses and is likely to be updated.
Week One
In the first phase starting June 13th, three-way temporary lights will be placed for one week on Heptonstall Road at the junction of Bankfoot.
A road closure will be introduced on Lee Wood Road for three weeks, with a diversion in place.
A second road closure will be placed on Oldgate for two weeks, from the junction of the A646 to the junction of The Buttress, with a signed diversion in place.
Access will be maintained for businesses and residents, and parking suspended for two weeks during this time.
All bus routes will be maintained and where roads are closed, diversions will be in place. NGN will provide further information regarding diversion routes ahead of their introduction.
While the majority of the work will be carried out in the street, engineers will need to access customer properties to complete the project and ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas.
Chris Nevison, Business Operations Lead for Northern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Heptonstall and Hebden Bridge.
“We fully appreciate the historical and cultural significance of Heptonstall village and to ensure any impact from our works is minimised as much as possible, will be taking extra care make sure its unique cobblestones are protected.
“We’re also bringing in extra resources and specialist machinery to get this work completed as safely and as quickly as we can, to reduce disruption for the community here.
“From the start of the project, our team will be available for residents to speak to every Wednesday at our dedicated customer hub at the Social and Bowling Club, where we’ll be really happy to answer any questions or concerns.
“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”
NGN is continuing to carry out its essential activities while following strict guidelines for safe distance working, where possible, and following good hygiene practices as we continue to live with coronavirus.
While all of NGN’s work has now resumed, extra safety precautions remain in place to keep everyone safe while we continue to live with Covid-19.
Customers can read more about NGN’s Covid Secure Promise here.
For further information about the work please contact NGN’s Customer Care Team on 0800 040 7766 or email: customercare@northerngas.co.uk.
Anyone that smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Latest update
Week 13 update
In the last couple of weeks, our teams have experienced further problems breaking through the terrain on Heptonstall Road.
After repeated attempts using different machinery, we’ll be temporarily pausing work on this section and will return at a later date to complete it.
This will involve using a different technique and new specialist equipment capable of breaking through the rock.
Because of this, Heptonstall Road road reopened on Monday (12th September) and we have been continuing the connections for the junction of Hepton Drive.
This means the road closure outside Towngate Tearooms will stay in place, while access will be maintained out of Hepton Drive.
Access to the public car park on Heptonstall Road will be available from the approach at the bottom of the hill and Valley View Road is open as normal.
Thank you to all our customers in Heptonstall for their patience and understanding over the last few weeks, as work continued to be extremely challenging.
We’re hoping that, barring the sections we will return to complete, the majority of the project will finish in a fortnight’s time
Because of the Bank Holiday for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, our teams won’t be working on Monday 19th September.
As always, if you want to talk to us or have any questions, please contact our Customer Care officer Suleman on 07811 845530 or email slorgat@northerngas.co.uk
Week 10 update
Our teams have been making good progress on the Heptonstall Road section this week, however encountered a setback on Thursday drilling in the last section of main.
With 12 metres to go, the drill head broke due to the rocky terrain, meaning we now need to dig down to reach the pipe and complete the work.
To do this, on Monday we will need to ‘open cut’ a trench for the last 12 metres. That means the road closure in place on Heptonstall Road will remain in situ for one more week until this section is complete. We’re sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
After the road closure is lifted on Heptonstall Road, the final phase of work will be finished on Townfield Lane and Smithwell Lane so it’s likely the overall project completion date will now be extended by one week.
Our Customer team is available to chat to at the Bowing and Social Club between 10am and 2pm on Wednesdays, please do come and see us if you have any questions.
Alternatively you can contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat at slorgat@northerngas.co.ukor call him on 07811 845530.
Week Nine update
We’re into the ninth week of our Heptonstall gas network upgrade, where all work on the Moss Lane section is now complete.
Our engineers are still working on Heptonstall Road under a road closure, to drill in the final section of gas main.
The team is confident that by next Friday, 19th August, we’ll have successfully replaced 500m of eight-inch gas main with 250mm plastic pipes.
Soon as this is done, we can reopen the road.
Once again, it has taken longer than expected because of the terrain and the rock we’re drilling through.
Following this, there are two small sections to complete on Townfield Lane and Smithwell Lane, which should mean the entire project will be finished on 30th August.
Our Customer Care team are still available to talk to in person at the Bowling & Social Club every Wednesday between 10 and 2pm.
Please do come along to speak to us if you have any questions, or contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat at slorgat@northerngas.co.uk / 07811 845530.
Week Seven update
It’s week seven and our gas mains replacement works in Heptonstall continue to progress well.
We’re almost finished on Moss Lane with the last gas insertion happening today, and we’ll be reinstating the road surface there next week, to fully complete this part.
On Monday, we reopened Lee Wood Road and closed Heptonstall Road.
Drilling the 280 metres we need on Heptonstall Road is going well, and this means we’ll also be starting work on the cobbled section on Towngate next week. We expect this phase to take around two to three weeks to complete.
While we’re working on Towngate, access in and out will be via Hepton Drive and up to Smithwell Lane.
After that section, we’ll have two final areas to finish, which should mean the entire project will be complete on Friday 26th August.
Our customer drop-in will be open as usual at the Bowling & Social Club on Wednesday between 10am and 2pm, and if you need to speak to us before then, please contact our Customer Care officer Suleman on 07811 845530 or drop him an email at slorgat@northerngas.co.uk
Week Six update
Week Six of our Heptonstall project is now complete and making good progress, with the Moss Lane section on track to complete in the 7-week timeframe as planned.
We’ve carried out the connection work on Lee Wood Road this week and have been reinstating the surface there too, so Lee Wood Road will be reopened on Monday 25th July.
Once that road reopens, Heptonstall Road will close, so engineers can focus on the next phase of works.
All access into the village will now be via Lee Wood Road while Heptonstall Road is closed.
The stop and go system will remain in place on Monday 25th July.
Our customer care team will be continuing our drop-in sessions every Wednesday between 10 and 2pm at the Bowling & Social Club on Acre Lane, so please do drop by and talk to our team if you have any questions.
Meantime, you can call or email our Customer Care Officer Suleman Lorgat on 07811 845530 or slorgat@northerngas.co.uk
Week Five update – Friday 15th June 2022
We’re nearly at the end of Week Five, and happy to report that the lower section of Heptonstall Road has now been completed three weeks ahead of schedule.
The section on Moss Lane is also on track to be completed within the original seven-week timeframe.
Our drilling team down at the Buttress continue to face extreme challenges due to the terrain.
We replaced our original 12-tonne drilling rig with a 22-tonne rig, the largest machine we can get in position, however even this hasn’t been able to break through the remainder of the ground.
So we can progress the rest of the project, we will be temporarily leaving a section of gas main in the ground while we re-assess and develop a plan to return at a later date to replace this.
In the meantime, we’ll carry out the connection work on Lee Wood Road and will start reinstating the road surface on Thursday 21st July, and continue this throughout the Friday/Saturday/Sunday.
Once this is complete, we’ll be aiming to remove the closure on Lee Wood Road on Monday 25th July.
As soon as Lee Wood Road is open, we’ll close Heptonstall Road with access for residents only, which will allow us to progress the last phase of the project.
We now expect to complete the whole scheme two weeks after the original end date, and have shared this update with bus companies, schools and the bin collection team.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to man the stop and go system in Heptonstall village seven days a week, and hold our weekly drop-in sessions at the Bowling and Social Club every Wednesday between 10am and 2pm so please come down and have a chat if you have any questions.
Our Customer Care officer Suleman is contactable outside those hours at slorgat@northerngas.co.uk or on 07811 845530.
Week Four update – Wednesday 6th July 2022
We’re halfway through the fourth week of our gas mains replacement project in Heptonstall.
Unfortunately, our directional drilling team are still experiencing serious challenges getting through the rock down at the Buttress, with another drill head broken this week.
Because of this delay, the road closure on Lee Wood Road will now need to be extended until at least 18th July, if everything goes to plan.
It’s been a frustrating situation for all concerned, and we sincerely apologise to residents for the time it’s taking to reopen the road.
No other closures are currently in place and we won’t introduce the closure on Heptonstall Road until Lee Wood Road is open. The local bus companies have been updated on the delay and we’ll be updating the road signage this week.
Meantime, our customer team continue to be at the Bowling & Social Club on Acre Lane every Wednesday in Heptonstall.
Please if you have any questions or concerns, do pop along and speak to one of us between 10 and 2pm.
Alternatively you can contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat via email at slorgat@northerngas.co.uk or by phone on 07811 845530.
Thursday 30th June 2022
Week three of our Heptonstall scheme is nearly complete and overall, the project is progressing well.
We’re currently ahead on several sections and the work on Moss Lane remains on schedule, with traffic management manned 7am to 7pm.
The section we’re drilling down at the Buttress continues to be extremely challenging.
The hard sandstone terrain so far has broken two drill bits on our rig and yesterday we fitted a third so we can get the last stretch completed.
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So far, we’ve drilled 250 metres and we have another 100m to go.
Unfortunately, the issues we’ve experienced will mean that the road closure on Lee Wood Road will need to remain in place until Monday 11th July.
We really do apologise for having to push this date back, as we know this will create some inconvenience for customers. We are doing our very best to get this part of the project completed as safely and quickly as we can and the road reopened.
The extended road closure on Lee Wood Road means that the date for the Heptonstall Road closure will now be pushed back to 11th July.
We’ve shared this update with the local bus companies and bin collection services, and we’ve altered the digital road signage to reflect this.
In the meantime, thank you to everyone who came along to our customer drop-in day yesterday at the Bowling & Social Club on Acre Lane, it was good to see you all.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat on 07811 845530 or email slorgat@northerngas.co.uk
Thursday 23rd June 2022
Our project in Heptonstall is now in its second week and progressing well.
The sections at Hepton Drive and Heptonstall Road are ahead of schedule, so last Thursday we removed the three-way lights on Burnley Road and Heptonstall Road, with just two-way lights in place on Heptonstall Road.
One of the old cast iron mains we’re replacing with new yellow plastic pipes.
Work on the section of underground gas network at Lee Wood Road is also underway.
Because of the landscape, and the fact we need to drill down into the cliff to reach the gas mains, we’ve brought in specialist engineering equipment for this part of the project.
To protect our teams and the public while we complete a complex piece of engineering, we will now need to extend the road closure on Lee Wood Road for a third week, until 4th July.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, we will be working as safely and quickly as we can to complete this part of the project.
Thank you to everyone who called in yesterday at the customer drop-in session, it was great to see you.
We’ll be at the Social & Bowling Club every Wednesday between 10am and 2pm to talk about the works and answer any questions you might have.
In the meantime, if you need to contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat outside those hours, you can reach him at slorgat@northerngas.co.uk or on 07811 845530.
Wednesday 15th June 2022
Stop and Go boards
To ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians, and of our teams at key school drop-off and pick-up times, we’re introducing Stop and Go boards today from the junction of Hepton Drive to Heptonstall Junior and Infant School.
The boards will be manually operated during the busiest hours between 8am – 9am, and 3pm -4pm.
Bus routes
We’ve worked with Calderdale Council, First Bus and TLC to minimise the impact of our project on bus passengers, including school services, as much as possible.
Bus services in Heptonstall will continue to run normally until the phases of the works where we need to introduce temporary road closures, to ensure the safety of our teams and protect members of the public.
There are no plans to suspend any service as we’re continuing to work with TLC on revised routes and possible timetable changes during the closures, and any diversion or change to routes will cover as much of the existing route as possible.
We’ll share full details on any changes to routes or timetables as soon as they are confirmed by the bus companies, on this web page and through street signage where possible.
Friday 10th June, 2022
Northern Gas Networks’ essential upgrade project in Heptonstall will be starting on Monday 13th June.
Two weeks ago, we held two customer drop-in sessions to discuss the works. Thanks to everyone who came along, it was great to see you there.
One of the main focuses for customers at the sessions was the traffic management plan, and being able to clearly understand the phasing.
As well as the full written plan, we’re now able to share maps of the plans as well.
You can view Phase One beginning 13th June here, and Phase Two, starting 4th July, here
Customer Hub
Our team will run a weekly drop-in session throughout the works, where customers can call in every Wednesday to speak to our Customer Care team and take a look at the traffic management plans in person.
The customer hub will be open at the NGN cabin based at Heptonstall Social & Bowling Club, every Wednesday from 15th June between 10am – 2pm.
If you have any questions, in the meantime, please contact our Customer Care officer Suleman Lorgat on 07811 845530 or email slorgat@northerngas.co.uk
