Petition for gas network expansion into Brackenridge

“Gas is already just across the road in the Trooperslane Industrial Estate, adjacent to Sloefield Road, where commercial businesses enjoy the environmental and financial benefits that gas brings to their enterprise,” Cllr Williams said. “Indeed the very valves and pipes that gas flows through are on the Brackenridge side of the road.

Brackenridge Close resident Rosena Muise indicated that on contacting Phoenix Natural Gas, she and her husband Hugh had been told there had not been enough expressions of interest to warrant the laying of the pipes in the area.

“This surprised me as it was often a topic of discussion among residents and we were aware that the pipe infrastructure abutted right up to our estate,” she said.

“Our petition, which was organised with the help of Mike Downey, a resident of Brackenridge Green, canvassed 33 per cent of home owners and resulted in 67 of them expressing interest in switching to gas. Had we done the whole estate and Priory, which is just below Brackenridge, I would confidently say we could have got in the order of 120 householders who are keen to convert.”

Cllr Williams added: “I have sent the Brackenridge petition to Phoenix Gas and call on them to afford Brackenridge and Priory residents the option of converting to natural gas, particularly as the estate is 15 years old and most, if not all, oil boilers will be of the older less efficient type and are ripe for replacement.

“Phoenix Gas is also operating a Boiler Scrappage Scheme at the moment so I urge residents to call Phoenix on 08454 55 55 55 to register their interest.”