'It’s going to be painful': Nightmare Cadent gas roadworks will choke Hoylake traffic for weeks

Gas firm Cadent said it was working to minimise disruption and finish the works “as quickly and safely as possible.”

Essential maintenance works are being carried out by Cadent over the next eight weeks to upgrade the gas supply network in Meols and Hoylake on the Wirral. This started on August 26 on Birkenhead Road and will be done in stages along almost a kilometre of pipeline.

The gas company said the existing pipe, installed in the 1930s, has reached the end of its operational life. The new pipes will help prevent issues like gas leaks.

Across the North West, Cadent is planning on upgrading around 385km of pipeline including over 40km on the Wirral as part of a £800m 30-year network upgrade that began in 2002. The work on Birkenhead Road will start at Leighton Avenue and eventually finish near the junction with Bertram Drive.

Temporary traffic lights have been put up close to Meols station with warnings to drivers on noticeboards about the delays. It’s understood work will take place during the week while the area will be patched up at weekends.

Despite thousands of letters being sent out and notice given, the news of more roadworks is raising concerns among those living in the area as Birkenhead Road is one of only two roads out of Hoylake. Earlier this year, a succession of road works meant people were stuck for ages getting in and out of the Wirral town.

Back in April, Hoylake’s councillors described road works as “very annoying for us all and massively inconvenient.” On August 22, they said they were “well aware of the road chaos” as they warned “there’s sadly more to come.”

On August 27, the LDRS witnessed queues on either side of the lights waiting to get through despite it not being at a peak time.

Jeanette Hatter, who runs the Potting Shed in Hoylake, said the situation was frustrating as the works were starting just before children went back to school. The LDRS understands timings are influenced by works going on in other parts of the Wirral that may impact on the wider road network.

Jeanette said they’d lost income because people couldn’t get in earlier this year though she was thankful “this time there has been a lot of notice,” adding: “We know it’s coming, it’s just going to be painful.”

When works started earlier this week, she said people didn’t stop ringing to say they were stuck and were going to be late, adding: “We will get by. We are fortunate that we are a destination business in that people will travel to come to us.

“It impacts more on the bakeries and the newsagents and the smaller places that rely on people parking up and jumping out of the car. No one is going to come into Hoylake to do a little shop. We will be okay but it will be painful for people coming to us.

“It’s not like it’s not necessary. You have got to be realistic but I wish they had done it in the school holidays when the roads are quieter.

“I feel better informed. Last time was a nightmare, nobody knew anything about it. Hoylake was an island. It’s a place with one way in and one way out. If you close the roads, you are going to cause chaos.”

Dave Gilbertson is a piano teacher who said he’d previously had people turn around because they couldn’t get through. He told the LDRS: “Everyone was a bit stressed about it. People trying to do a family food shop in West Kirby, it took them about four hours getting in and out,” adding: “I just hope it isn’t a repeat of what happened last time.”

The work is being done in 100m stretches to minimise the impact on roads and allow for a two way traffic system which will reduce wait times. Cadent are also asking people to allow extra time and the firm also runs a compensation scheme for small businesses that lose income.

Lucy Sterry, head of work management in the North West, said: “This is a major project that will guarantee residents living in Wirral receive a safe and reliable gas supply for decades to come.

“These upgrades also have big environmental gains, as they reduce methane emissions and enable a move to more renewable gases like biomethane. This is essential for a cleaner future – the UK will need energy to come from a range of sources to meet demand and be sustainable.

“We’re working closely with the local council to minimise disruption and are completing the works as quickly and safely as possible. Thank you to everyone for your understanding during this essential upgrade.”