Communities, volunteers, Cadent and the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) are amongst those being thanked for their quick response after 3,500 homes were affected by a major gas outage.
All Ratby and Kirby Muxloe residents and businesses are now reconnected after the serious incident which left some people without heating for nearly a week, caused by a burst water pipe.
Gas distribution company Cadent, Leicestershire County Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Blaby District Council, voluntary and community organisations from across Leicestershire, local businesses, volunteers and the local community and others worked round-the-clock – coordinated by the LRF - to support vulnerable people, provide hot food and give out heaters and blankets, as temperatures dipped.
Now, the county council is praising all involved for stepping up and asking utility company Severn Trent Water to explain the cause of the incident and an apparent delayed response to the burst water pipe.
It has also asked the Local Resilience Forum to calculate the cost to the public purse so that costs can be recovered from those responsible.
The response locally has been exemplary. Our local councils, Cadent and voluntary groups – including Leicestershire Search and Rescue and British Red Cross - and our residents have gone the extra mile to look out for our communities and I can’t thank them enough.
Now we need answers to what happened. This has impacted thousands of people’s lives and over a week on, we still don’t have confirmation of what went wrong and that is why the Cabinet is formally asking Severn Trent for their explanation. I am very pleased that the Leader of the Council has asked me to move the Cabinet recommendation to bring this about.
Everyone’s priority has been keeping our residents safe and well but this brings with it large costs. At a time when public spending is tightly squeezed, it’s important we take action to recoup costs.
Person:Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport who was personally affected and who represents Ratby on the County Council
An update was discussed by the council’s cabinet today (Friday) – watch online.