Drop-in session to let people know about pipeline work

The company is staging a special customer drop-in session between 4pm and 6.30pm at St Thomas’s Church, Heptonstall, near Hebden Bridge, on Thursday.

Members of the public will be able to find out more about the project and why it needs to be done.

Beginning on February 28, the project will see contractors, Morrison Utility Services, installing over two and a half miles of pipe.

This will run from Lower Gorple Reservoir along the access track and along a one and a half mile stretch of Widdop Road.

To ensure the safety of both engineers and road users, it will be necessary to close a section of Widdop Road between Heptonstall and Colne to through traffic for five weeks in 200-yard stretches for about one and a half miles, although access for local residents will be maintained at all times.

A sign-posted diversionary route will be in place throughout the duration of the project, with Yorkshire Water pledging to complete the work as quickly as possible.

Charlie Haysom, of Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re committed to providing all of our customers with some of the best drinking water in the world and whilst this work is likely to lead to some traffic disruption, hopefully everybody can see that the long-term benefits vastly outweigh any short term inconveniences.

“Closing a road is always our last resort and we always try and do everything we can to keep roads open whilst we carry out any work.

“Unfortunately, owing to remote location of this work and the limited road network in the local vicinity, there simply wasn’t any other alternative, though we are going to work extra-fast to ensure we get everything back to normal and reopen the road as quickly as possible.”

Neither Yorkshire Water or Morrison Utility Services employees will need access to residents’ properties and residents are being asked to be on their guard against bogus callers.

Yorkshire Water supplies 1.24 billion litres of drinking water each day and operates more than 40,000 miles of water and sewerage mains.