• Cadent is working with Essex County Council to complete a major investment into Benfleet and Canvey Island’s gas supply
• £3.4million investment programme to replace ageing gas pipes with more durable pipes
• Upgrade helps get the gas network ready for low-carbon hydrogen

Cadent, who manages the gas network in Essex, is investing over £3.4million in Benfleet and Canvey Island’s local pipe network over the next couple of years to ensure the network is ready to carry low-carbon gas, like hydrogen, which is essential for the UK to achieve ‘Net Zero’ emissions by 2050.

Glenn Holman, Engineering Manager, Cadent explained:

“We will be replacing 13km (over eight miles) of the old metallic pipes with new more durable plastic pipes in Benfleet and Canvey Island.

“The replacement of the gas pipes will be completed in phases, to ensure we reduce any disruption to the community. 

“We are pleased to be working closely with local Essex County Councillors to help us look at the needs of the community and ensure they continue to have a safe and reliable gas supply.”

The first phase of work will start on Monday 20 February on Mount Road, Benfleet for approximately six weeks.

Residents will be kept informed of the different phases, traffic management and if their gas supply will be temporarily impacted at the beginning of each phase. Cadent will also be leafleting residents along the affected roads.

Rebecca Harris the MP for Castle Point, who has been lobbying Cadent to invest in the local gas pipe network said:

“This upgrade is very much needed and I am very pleased Cadent are investing to reduce leaks and cut down on the amount of emergency roadworks in our Borough in the long term. There is no doubt this upgrade will cause some disruption on our roads while the work is being done but I am grateful that Cadent are phasing the work to keep traffic flowing around the Borough as much as possible. When this work is done, we should experience far fewer instances of emergency gas works on key roads in our Borough for decades to come, and our local network will be ready for a transition to greener hydrogen gas in the future. I have been asking for more investment in our local utilities infrastructure and I am pleased Cadent have listened.”

Cllr Andrew Sheldon, the Essex County Councillor for South Benfleet who has been working with Cadent on the planning for the phasing of the upgrades said: 

“This is going to be a big job and a lot of the major roads around Benfleet in particular will be affected. But unless we want to see our roads continue to be clogged up by emergency works for decades to come with only patchwork repairs here and there, this work has to happen. I am very grateful to Cadent for coming to me to help them plan the phasing of the work in Benfleet and for spending many hours with myself and local highways officers to come up with ways to minimise disruption as much as possible. The works will only take place on one main road through Benfleet at a time and where roads can be kept open, they will. It is important that residents are given as much notice as possible about this work and I urge all residents to visit the website to view the planned work and note the dates of all the different phases that will affect you. ”

This is part of a wider investment programme by Cadent to upgrade older gas mains in the North London network (which includes Essex). These pipes safely, reliably and out-of-sight (underground) distribute gas that keeps people warm in their homes. More than 82% of households in Castle Point have gas central heating.