At last - utilities company coughs up some compensation
U-turn by Wales and West welcomed by Hungerford mayor
UTILITIES company Wales and West has finally agreed to make a contribution to the town of Hungerford following anger over gas works earlier this year.
The company has chosen to make a donation to Care in Hungerford Action In Need (CHAIN).
Works to replace the old, cast iron gas main on the A338 at High Street, Bridge Street and Salisbury Road, started at the beginning of last April and vastly over-ran the original, nine-week schedule.
Some individual traders, some of whom lost up to 50 per cent of their takings during the period, successfully sought compensation in a joint action co-ordinated by the Chamber of Commerce.
However town mayor Martin Crane and chamber spokesman Nigel Perrin decided to pursue matters further.
Mr Perrin said in August: “It was immensely frustrating, not just for traders, but for individual residents. It was very hard for them to get any information about what was going on and how long the works would be extended beyond the original deadline.”
“We are going to ask for a donation as a gesture of goodwill and, if we're successful, we can use it for anything that benefits the town as a whole. The management of the whole project was appallingly bad at times and we had to fight to get any useful information to give people.”
He and town mayor Martin Crane sent a joint letter to the company.
At the time, Wales and West Utilities spokesman Gwyn Thomas apologised for any inconvenience caused to townsfolk but insisted: “Any compensation claims will be dealt with on an individual basis.”
However this week Mr Crane said: “It has been a long series of correspondence to get this far and although the sum contributed to CHAIN is relatively small - £250 - it is at least an acknowledgement from the company of the inconvenience caused to the whole of Hungerford during their protracted gas pipe replacement contract.”
In a letter to Mr Crane, Wales and West Utilities chief executive Graham Edwards said: “Further to our various correspondence in relation to Wales and West Utilities' essential gas mains replacement work in Hungerford and your recent suggestion of making a contribution to local charity, CHAIN, I am writing to let you know that we have, in fact, been in touch with the organisation.”
He said his company had been in contact with CHAIN chairwoman Janette Kersey and added: “Mrs. Kersey mentioned the fundraising efforts currently underway to purchase a new 'chairman' vehicle to help wheelchair bound clients and we have subsequently responded by sending a contribution to the organisation's treasurer.
“Wales and West Utilities is pleased to support organisations and groups, particularly local charities where fundraising is always challenging. Thank you for your suggestion.”
Mrs Kersey said: “The ‘chairman' will cost around £17,500, so we'll put the donation towards that. We have also applied to Greenham Common Trust's online grant scheme. It will be used to get wheelchair-bound people to events such as the stroke club and whatever else they need.”
