North Devon village main street to be closed for two months for gas pipe work

Villagers in Combe Martin are bracing for two months of road works disruption this autumn with the closure of its main street while essential gas pipeline upgrades are carried out.

From Monday, September 29 until the end of November, King Street will be closed between Cross Street near the seafront and Kingston Avenue towards the centre of the mile-long main street.

It is so Wales & West Utilities can carry out work to upgrade underground gas pipes. It is understood the work had originally been scheduled to start in the summer but Combe Martin Parish Council requested it be moved to the autumn to avoid the busy season.

Wales & West Utilities said it had liaised with Devon County Council to plan the work and it has been agreed King Street will be closed for the duration of the project, but the closure will be ‘rolling’ to allow residents access.

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Villagers can find out more about the plans at a drop-in session hosted by the utility company at Combe Martin Community Centre on Tuesday (September 2) between 10am and 5pm.

Roxanne Whittaker, who is managing the work for Wales & West Utilities, said: “We know that working in areas like this is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future.

“We’ll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.

“We’d like to see members of the community at our drop-in event so that we can share plans of the work.

“While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across the area.

“This work is essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses today and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, so we can all play our part in a green future.”

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Anyone with questions about the work can call the Wales & West Utilities customer services on 0800 912 2999. Or get in touch via X @WWUtilities or the Wales & West Utilities Facebook page.