Gas Boost For Freeport

United Utilities has given the Glasshoughton Freeport a major gas boost.

The company carried out £67,000 improvements to reinforce the gas network at the Colorado Way site.

The investment was made by the new owners of Yorkshire's gas network - Northern Gas Networks.

Massive redevelopment in recent years has transformed the former colliery site into a busy leisure and retail centre.

United Utilities laid a new 600 metre pipe to boost the existing gas system and ensure any future developments at Colorado Way are well supplied by gas.

Engineers completed the work in two months keeping disruption to a minimum.

Michael Parkinson, United Utilities network operations manager, said: "We used a process known as horizontal directional drilling to carry out this work as safely and efficiently as possible.

"The Freeport has undergone extensive growth in the last few years and we needed to ensure that the gas network in the area could withstand this expansion.

"We were delighted to finish this essential work on time and contribute to the regeneration of the area."

Northern Gas Networks bought Yorkshire's gas pipeline from Transco in June and appointed United Utilities, one of the UK's biggest multi-utility companies, to carry out day-to-day operations.

United Utilities, looks after 36,000km of gas mains which is enough to stretch from Glasshoughton to Sydney Australia and back again.