Anger over SGN works in Southsea as Festing Road closures continue to cause misery

Councillor Nick Dorrington, who represents Eastney & Craneswater, said people in his ward and business owners on Albert Road have contacted him about delays caused by the work.

Festing Road has been closed at the junction with Albert Road and Highland Road for weeks. Earlier, SGN had closed one lane on Festing Road and put in temporary traffic lights, causing disruption.

"Local people and businesses are suffering from SGN's road works," said Cllr Dorrington. "We all understand when essential works need to happen, but this is getting ridiculous. It feels like the gas company has closed Festing Road for months and they seem to want to stay even longer.

"It's causing traffic jams, and buses are being rerouted. This is a big inconvenience for local people. What we want is for SGN to get on with it."

At a council meeting on 17/12/2024, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, will raise the idea of a "lane rental" scheme. This would let the council charge companies for using main roads, which could encourage them to complete work faster.

"We understand that utility companies need to fix ageing infrastructure," said Cllr Vernon-Jackson. "But years of putting shareholders profits above investment have come back to bite them."

"I hope the lane rental scheme will make these companies get on and complete their road works faster. That's the point. Otherwise, it will cost them thousands to occupy lanes on the main roads in Portsmouth.”

In response SGN said the works are part of an emergency project to replace old gas pipes with new, modern ones.

A spokesperson said: “We’re continuing emergency repairs to our gas network in Festing Road, Southsea, on the junction of Albert Road and Highland Road. Our work has been planned in close consultation with the local authorities.

“In the earlier stages of this critical project we attempted to repair our gas main, but due to its condition we took the difficult decision to replace the main with new modern plastic pipe instead. We realise this is a traffic sensitive location, but replacing the main now will reduce the overall inconvenience of future repairs and ensure a safe and reliable gas supply to the local community for many years to come.

“This is complex engineering project which has been delayed due the requirement of ordering specialist fittings for the gas main replacement. Once the repair is complete, the restoration of the road surface will also take longer than normal due to limited access to reinstatement materials during the festive period.

“All going well, we’re aiming to complete the replacement of gas main by the end of January. We apologise for the disruption caused by this work and would like to thank the Southsea community for your ongoing patience and support.”