FEARS that Ludlow Town Centre could be heavily disrupted by major gas repairs during the busiest shopping period of the year have been eased.

Engineers say that the gas mains in the centre of Ludlow are not in as bad a condition as it was thought but one section of main is still giving concern.

Traders had been worried about the impact of major improvements to the gas supply in the town during one of the most important periods in the year.

Gas engineers had said that the work was urgent because of the condition of the ageing gas mains but following a new assessment it has been decided that it can wait until the New Year.

However, there is still concern about the condition of the gas main in Old Street in the town and this part of the supply system will continue to be monitored on a regular basis.

The town council had engaged in initial talks with Balfour Beatty and National Grid in December 2014 to express concerns regarding the impact of the works, which at the time were described as essential, and especially the initial proposed time table, which was at the start of Ludlow’s festival season.

Successful negotiations involving the town council and Shropshire Council had resulted in the works being rescheduled between January and March.’

“I am delighted that the proposed National Grid Gas works planned in Ludlow Town Centre for Bull Ring, King Street and High Street have been removed from the Balfour Beatty programme of works,” said Paul Draper, Mayor of Ludlow.

It was explained by Shropshire Council that ‘National Grid Gas have undertaken a review of the risk scores of all of their pipes, and following an amendment to the factors that are applied to the risk score calculation, the risk scores of their pipes have changed. These amendments have been agreed with the regulator and the HSE'.

“The primary reason that iron pipes are identified for replacement is due to the risk score,” said National Grid.

“Other than the short section in Old Street, none of the remaining pipes currently have a risk score that is significant enough to consider replacement during our current formula review period, which currently runs until the end of March 2021.

“This comes with a caveat that risk scores are dynamic, and if contributing factors were to result in the risk score of a pipe exceeding the ALARP threshold in a given year, then the pipe would be scheduled for replacement.

“One location that has been recorded as still needing to be undertaken is Old Street at the junction of St Johns Lane, this will be undertaken after March 2016, but within the financial year 2016/2017 and at a time that will cause the least disruption.”

The work that is needed involves the replacement of an old metal gas main with a new one made of plastic pipe which it is said will need little or no maintenance in the future.

It had earlier been said that the improvements to the gas supply would take place in the spring but this was rescheduled until the spring and then the autumn.

Leaders of Ludlow traders have said that while there is no good time for the disruptive work it would be best if it could be undertaken in the period between January and March.