£250,000 Investment in Leeds' Gas Network

Work is set to start on a £250,000 scheme to upgrade a pipeline which supplies gas to Leeds City Centre.

Engineers from United Utilities will carry out the project in and around Hunslet Lane on behalf of pipeline owner Northern Gas Networks. The work will begin on Monday September 8 and is expected to take 10 weeks to complete.

Work will be carried out in phases to help minimise disruption in the area. Northern Gas Networks’ Director Chris Gorman explained: “We are replacing a section of one of the pipelines which supplies gas into the heart of Leeds City Centre. It is impossible to carry out such a major scheme without causing some disruption but we have designed our works in such a way to help keep this to a minimum.

“Every year we invest more than £60m to renew gas mains across the region to make sure our system remains one of the safest and most reliable in the world. The good news is that our new tough plastic pipelines are more durable and flexible than the old metal mains we are replacing and once in the ground they will have a lifespan of around 80 years.”

The first phase of the work will be carried out in Hunslet Lane, outside the Crown Point Retail Park. It will be necessary to reduce the road from two lanes down to one to allow engineers to work safely in the highway. This phase is expected to take two weeks to complete.

Work will then move into the footpath in front of Crown Point for approximately two weeks. The bus stop outside the retail park will be temporarily re-located closer to ‘Klick’ and Junction Street.
When this phase is complete, work will be carried out in Junction Street. Access to the shopping centre will be retained at all times. As well as using the main entrance to the retail park, shoppers will still be able to use the entrance from Kidacre Street behind Costa Coffee and Subway.