Wroxham: Essential gas work disrupting traffic and shops

Essential work to replace gas pipes in Wroxham is leading to delays on the village's major routes at peak times

Major work to replace 90-year-old gas pipes has been causing disruption to businesses and traffic in a village.

Norwich Road and Salhouse Road in Wroxham, Norfolk, are being dug up so engineers can access the gas mains.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in place this week, but long queues have built up at peak times, and shops said trade was being affected.

Kevin Hegarty, from gas firm Cadent, said about 4,600m (15,091ft) of pipes were being replaced in a "big job".

Work on the project - which is taking place nationwide as part of a 30-year scheme - started in the village in October on minor roads.

However, the project has now shifted to the main road through the centre of the Broads town and it was expected to last until 27 February.

Cadent said about 80% of Wroxham's homes were heated by gas.

It also said it needed to futureproof the network, with the new pipes able to carry hydrogen.

Roadworks have been set up on Wroxham's main routes and are expected to remain in place until the end of February

Rachael Pegg, who runs The Florist Shop on Norwich Road, said: "It's killed the passing trade because people can't pull up outside the shop and get a bouquet.

"Also getting deliveries out in the mornings is atrocious - trying to get the van out on the road.

"With Valentine's Day coming up, I think we'll lose a lot of trade; Valentine's is 'make or break'; will we be able to keep the shop open if we don't get enough customers?"

Mr Hegarty said Cadent was trying to keep disruption to a minimum.

He added affected businesses could claim compensation via its website.

"Some of the pipes in Wroxham were installed in the 1930s, others in the 1960s... and they have come to the end of their safe, operating, working life," he said.

"They are safe now, but we do need to replace them - they're all under the roads in most cases, so, in order to replace them, we do have to impact traffic."

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