Local Councillor calls for enquiry into Yorkshire Water over Stannington gas emergency

Local resident and Sheffield Councillor Penny Baker has called for an enquiry into over 1,400 Stannington homes losing their heating and hot water following a water main explosion last Friday on Bankfield Lane.

The explosion ruptured a gas pipe and flooded the local gas network. Homes and businesses saw water gushing from their meters and appliances and have since been without heating.

Sheffield City Council has declared a major incident in the area, and Cadent Gas has been distributing hundreds of electric heaters and hot plates to residents, while working on restoring gas supply to the area house by house. The National Grid has also expressed concerns over the electricity supply on certain streets due to potential overloading.

Cllr Baker said “Firstly, I’d like to thank the local community for the amazing resilience they’ve shown over an incredibly challenging few days. Churches and pubs have opened their doors as warm spaces, community members have delivered hot food to people who are vulnerable and living on their own, people have been looking after our elderly residents at Manor House - everyone’s really pulled together to get through it.

“Cadent are also doing brilliantly – as busy as they are trying to repair the network, they’re stopping and talking to residents, keeping them informed, and keeping people’s spirits up.

“However, as for Yorkshire Water, I think they’ve got a lot of questions to answer. Both residents and councillors have been reporting leaks for years – if these network problems had been dealt with proactively, an explosion like this wouldn’t have happened.

“Once the immediate emergency is over, residents want to know what compensation they can expect, they want assurances on the stability of the water network going forwards, and they want answers on how these leaks and pipe ruptures were overlooked.

“Yorkshire Water made a £241 million profit last year, and yet their network’s deteriorated until it’s at crisis point. What action are they taking, and what action is the regulator Ofwat taking to force Yorkshire Water’s hand?

“I’m calling for a full enquiry into Yorkshire Water’s handling of leaks in Stannington, as it’s the only way we’re going to get the answers this community deserves.”