Gas upgrades to cause disruption in four towns

Works to upgrade the gas network are expected to cause traffic disruption in four Cornish towns in the coming weeks and months.

Busy routes through Redruth, St Ives, Truro and Newquay will be closed or see temporary traffic lights.

One trader in Redruth Steve Sandum has warned "people will avoid the town" and expressed frustration at further works, having already been disrupted for several weeks last year.

Wales and West Utilities said it would complete the work as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.

In Redruth there will be temporary traffic lights on West End Road at the bottom of Fore Street until 22 April.

St Ives will see closures on Back Road East and Back Road West until 21 February.

Kenwyn Road in Truro will be closed from 2 January until March, and in April Victoria Square will be closed.

In Newquay Gover Lane will be closed at the junction with Bank Street and Beachfield Avenue until 28 March.

Steve Sandum runs a house clearance shop in Redruth close to West End Road that will see traffic lights for more than four months.

He said: "The road outside my shop was closed for 36 days before Christmas - it wasn't good for us, people just avoided Redruth basically.

"We're already struggling. It's difficult times for the high street and this is not going to help at all."

Mark Warren is the Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) manager and said: "Gover Lane is very busy, luckily we'll be able to get pedestrians down it but deliveries for the businesses there will be an issue.

"It's going to cause issues but from Easter onwards in Newquay road closures are a definite no-no, so now is the best time to do it. So we need Wales and West to get it done and get out quick."

Abby Smith is managing the gas pipe upgrade work for Wales and West Utilities and said the work is "essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses".

Engineers will aim to "make sure our work is completed as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum", she added.

Part of the project is to enable the gas network to be capable of transporting hydrogen and biomethane in the future.

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