RESIDENTS have been left up in arms after engineers carried out what they considered to be disruptive gas works without pre-warning them.

Wivenhoe homeowners have kicked-up a fuss after Cadent employees carried out work in The Cross without telling them.

Cadent says its Mains Replacement Project will see old metallic piping removed and replaced with tough new pipes which will last for decades, futureproofing the network. 

According to residents, however, they were left unsure whether their gas supply would be cut off as little information had been communicated to them.

They also say they were somewhat put out by the presence of work vehicles in the road and the large holes which were left gaping for quite some time.

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Mark Cory, councillor for Wivenhoe, spoke with residents on social media, assuring them he would contact the supplier on their behalf. 

He said: “Some residents felt there was not enough information around for the gas works at the time. 

“Hopefully, Cadent will go above and beyond with their communications in the future.” 

Cadent bosses, however, have now responded, saying those who needed to know about the works were told in advance.

A spokesman said: “Residents of The Cross who are directly affected by the planned work received a letter from our Network Director to explain what was happening and how long the work is expected to last along with contact details for our customer teams. 

Gazette: Works - Gas works by Cadent have startled residents in The Cross, Wivenhoe
"We are working with UK Power Network, which is carrying out emergency repairs of its own, to sync up the traffic management so the flow of traffic can continue through Wivenhoe with as little disruption as possible.

"We have also requested additional signs to help with any confusion relating to the bus stop suspension that is temporarily in place." 

“We’d like to apologise for any frustration that our work is causing, but we’d also like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as we complete this much needed upgrade to the gas network.” 

The works in The Cross started on January 2 and will be completed by January 15, according to the Cadent website. 

Traffic in the area has been managed with multi-way signals, while the utility asset works are taking place.