DRIVERS and residents are being warned of more gas works taking place in Newton Abbot and Kingskerswell.

Wales and West Utilities is set to start work on further areas upgrading pipes over the next couple of weeks.

Work in the Shaldon Road area of Buckland, Newton Abbot will start on June 15 and, if it goes to plan, is due to finish in October.

The work has been planned in conjunction with Devon County Council and it has been agreed that during the project, traffic management will be in place, with two-way traffic lights on Shaldon Road from June 29 to July 23.

Work along Newton Road in Kingskerswell started recently and is due to be completed early next year.

Initially this involves rolling two-way traffic lights on Newton Road until August 7. Motorists are advised to allow sufficient travel time.

In Kingskerswell, the project is costing almost £780,000 over the next few years and the intensive programme of wider mains replacement works will see over 2,500 metres of gas pipes upgraded across the area as the company upgrades the critical energy infrastructure in the area.

In Newton Abbot, the cost is £800,000 to upgrade pipes and the wider mains replacement works is upgrading more than 2,700 metres of gas pipes

Wales & West Utilities Roxanne Whittaker is managing this work and said: ‘We are committed to keep the local community updated on progress.

‘We’ll continue to work closely with the local authority, and commit to keep communities informed as projects are planned and delivered.

'We understand our work can cause disruption, but it is essential to maintain a resilient gas network that households and business can rely on every day.

'Once we’ve completed this intensive phase of work, we’ll leave behind an upgraded network that meets today’s energy needs, and is ready to transport greener gases in the future. By completing this work now, barring any emergency repairs, we can avoid returning to the area and causing further disruption to the local community for decades.’