Neighbours worry about blast site's future use

Residents living close to the scene of a house explosion that killed two people say they are worried about the site's long-term future.

Paul Swales, 85, and Julia Harris, 84, died after the blast and fire at a property on Cleat Hill, Bedford, on 19 October last year.

It happened near to where a borehole was drilled, striking a pocket of natural gas, and Diana Johnson fears the site could be sold for development and more holes drilled.

Bedford Borough Council said the site's future "will be informed by appropriate legal processes", so it was "unable to comment further in that regard at this time".

Ms Johnson said: "One hopes the local authority and the planning authority will have the ability to oversee what happens to the site to make sure it is dealt with properly."

The deadly explosion left one house destroyed, and 50 homes nearby were evacuated for eight weeks.

It took place three months after an escape of natural gas from a 100m (328ft) borehole drilled to install a ground source heat pump. It has since been plugged.

Residents could only return home once gas monitors were fitted in their homes, but they will be removed at the end of November.

Meanwhile, in-person monitoring for gas at the explosion site will soon be done remotely.

"The fact they're not going to be be monitoring in the same way, I don't feel concerned about that," said Ms Johnson, adding the council had shown "they don't take any risks".

"I feel perfectly safe living here."

In March, the borough council said it had spent £1m in recovery costs since the blast, but that bill could rise to £2m.

It has held a mixture of in-person and online meetings over the past year, as well as keeping residents up to date with developments through regular email and text messages, a spokesperson said.

Cleat Hill resident Stephen Battle said the authority had done "a fantastic job", adding he would be happy to give up his in-home gas monitor once he received a new risk assessment for his house.

But like Ms Johnson, he is worried about the site's long term future - and the impact on house prices.

"Would you want to come and buy a house on a gas well? I don't think many people will," he said.

Fear of another explosion was on Ian Jones's mind all the time, he said.

But his "biggest fear is the site gets sold to developers who are allowed to bore more holes".

"There is still gas leaking out of the site, albeit very minimally," he added.

As a result, he plans to build his own gas monitors and put them around his home.

The borough council spokesperson said: "There has also been a commitment to open communication so that they can ask questions of both the council and specialists, as well as other statutory bodies such as the police and fire and rescue service.

"Our actions have been in line with risk assessments created and reviewed by technical specialists, as will continue to be the case."

A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said: "We are supporting the police-led investigation, providing technical expertise in connection with the explosion."

Inquests were opened into Mr Swales and Ms Harris' deaths in November.

Ms Johnson said: "On Sunday, we'll all be thinking about what we experienced, but also about what Mr Swales and his sister-in-law went through."

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