South Ealing Gas Leak Scandal
Cllr Millican posts warn us of yet more gas-leak-related work on the South Ealing Road soon. This is pretty much a sham by Transco who have over the past twenty years failed to cure the root of the problem as anyone who travels, lives, or works on the South Ealing Road between Saint Mary's Church and the Thames knows. The root cause of this is one of the oldest "grid" gas mains in the country a 24inch monster of a "medium pressure" gas main deeply buried and very old and crumbling. It used to connect the old gas works in Brentford to Ealing Broadway via South Ealing. It is falling apart and Transco does not want to replace it because of the projected cost. This is why you will see the same patches of road being dug up time and again and manhole covers lifted to vent the gas. The truth is that the work that is seen to be done is yellow plastic pipes leading to customers and the second shallower cast iron gas main (six to eith inches) and "low pressure" which is nearer the road surface. This is largely cosmetic and is more concerned with venting the ducts belonging to the telecoms phone companies. If enough concrete is poured in on top then the gas get diverted elsewhere.There is one point just south of the bus stop opposite South Ealing tube station where there is occasionally a smell of gas and which gets dug up every couple of years. The problem is this Victorian antique which needs to be replaces.I would expect continued regular disruption for the next few decades on the South Ealing road until the gas main collapses completely.Will.
William J Malmet ● 5199d6 Comments