In a leaflet issued to local residents SGN state:
"We are investing £150, 000 to upgrade the gas network in High Street in Nairn.
This essential work involves the replacement of old, metal gas mains with new plastic pipe to ensure a continued safe and reliable gas supply.
Following discussions with the Highland Council, the work will start on Monday 7 September and will take approximately 21 weeks to complete"
You can see how the work will be phased and how long each section will take on a copy of the information leaflet in PDF format here.
That is the end of January next year, I know it has to be done, but shops will suffer especially in the snow and ice, when you have to manoeuvre over uneven ground to get onto the pavement. I will shop online for Xmas, not risking a fall. Why didn't they time it for spring?
ReplyDeleteThe old, metal gas mains have been there for many many years.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't SGN and the Highland Council take the opportunity to install new pipes when the High Street was being dug up to redesign and re-lay the pavements?
Doing the two jobs at the same time would have saved money on both projects, and would have meant only one period of disruption to shops and residents.
Once again, a lack of joined-up thinking and planning.
If they have to dig up the High Street again could they please reinstate our pavements back to the way they were with the same amount of parking spaces we used to have, and none of those "bulgy" out bits we have now.
ReplyDeleteIf you look back in the old NT papers, of like me remember & experienced it directly, you will recall that whilst the Brae part of the streetscape was being done the gas board suddenly found that some of the pipes that were exposed were in need of replacement. This held up the Brae streetscape works for a few weeks whilst it was done (mainly in front of the opticians & picture framers). They then reckoned they could get another 15yrs out of the rest of the pipes, but at the cost of digging the road up again.
ReplyDeleteIf they had replaced all the gas pipes at the same time, they would not have got the "foretold extra life" out of the pipes, but would have saved on digging the road up again. Also they would have got more for the scrap value of the old metal pipes as the metal prices were higher then than they are now.
Long term joined up thinking is a thing of the past I'm afraid
Could this not be an opportunity to see what a pedestrianised High Street would feel like?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about those people that live on the High Street and have their own off street parking what would happen to them in a pedestrianised High Street? And where would all the traffic that goes up the High Street go? Hang on we'll soon find out lol.
ReplyDelete@ Kate 10:15, & @ Anon 3:25
ReplyDeleteI drew up plans for a pedestrianised Brae, with a 5mph access only for residents/deliveries, NO through traffic. ALL the shop keepers & residents on the Brae supported my plans that I did & signed a petition wanting my plans over the Councils bodged three plans also. NONE of the River Community Council supported me & the Council just ignored what I had done & the petition & what the other business & residents wanted as "they knew better".
Everything I stated that would go wrong with their plans & final version HAS gone wrong since.
I knew "nothing" as just a shop keeper, however I graduated from Robert Gordon's University as a fully qualified Architectural Technician, which is more than the people in the Council & the River Community Council who thought they knew better!
Look back on this site as the Gurn covered it in various articles & so did the NT, I was on several front pages!