It has been a “tough few days” for thousands of people after a major gas outage affected 4,600 properties, according to a town mayor.
More than 100 Wales and West Utilities (WWU) engineers have been working to restore supplies in the Kingsbridge, Malborough and Salcombe area of the South Hams in Devon following damage to a mains pipe on Saturday.
WWU said restoration was complete in Malborough, excluding inaccessible properties, adding it also had “made good progress in Kingsbridge”.
Salcombe mayor Jasper Evans said it had been a “tough few days” but said there had been a “fantastic community response”. Evans said he hoped “many more people in Salcombe” would have gas supplies restored.
Evans said the number of empty and inaccessible second-homes in Salcombe had slowed down the process of restoring gas supplies.
“We’re really hoping today is going to be the big switch-on,” he said.
“Wales and West need access to properties to check on things and there has been a really big push by them and by us to get access by contacting second home owners, agents, neighbours, to do that.
“If at all possible for residents, can they make sure that somebody is going to be at home to let Wales and West in.”
He said a lot of lessons had been learnt following the incident, including better communication with second-homeowners and the use of alternative gas options, such as heat pumps.
