Gas repairs causing 'real issue', say councillors

A road closure caused by gas repair work is causing chaos, some residents have claimed.

A section of Anlaby Road in Hull has been shut since 5 January.

Three city councillors have written to utility company Northern Gas Networks (NGN) asking them to to "urgently review" the works and the traffic management.

NGN apologised and said it was "doing everything we can to resolve these challenges swiftly".

Local councillors Maria Coward, Jack Haines and Alison Collinson asked the gas distributor for "answers and solutions to the road closure that is causing a real issue on our roads".

Coward told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Countless people have been in touch to complain about the delays caused by the roadworks and are looking forward to assurances that this will be completed on time."

Haines added: "We want Northern Gas to set out a clear plan of action to alleviate the pressure their works are putting on the roads."

In its response, NGN said it understood the "the frustration caused by the congestion and the impact on daily routines".

It added: "We sincerely apologise for the disruption and appreciate the patience and understanding shown by the community during these essential gas main replacement works.

"The closure and all associated traffic management arrangements have been very carefully planned and coordinated with the council's highways department to minimise inconvenience wherever possible."

It added: "While we remain committed to removing the temporary traffic lights on schedule, due to unforeseen circumstances and engineering challenges, we are currently in discussions with the highways department about the possibility of extending the closure on Anlaby Road."

Listen to highlights fromHull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look Northor tell us about a story you think we should be coveringhere.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices