Car parts theft caused by Woodford gasworks

Hillside Avenue’s many cul-de-sacs have been met with disruptive gasworks over the past two weeks, causing an array of issues from limited parking to theft.

The quiet cul-de-sacs of Hillside Avenue, Woodford, have faced major disruption over the past two weeks, which looks set to continue until the 9th of October according to Cadent Gas if work is completed on time. Residents were greeted with knocks on their doors a few weeks ago informing them of the works which would be taking place over the course of September and early October. Before the intrusive works begun, Cadent made plenty of assurances to residents and even left a helpline in case of any issues, giving residents the impression that these works would be efficient and orderly.

In practice though, residents have faced all sorts of problems just half way through the timeframe prescribed by Cadent. Some residents have become concerned with Cadent’s need to enter houses and check gas meters, as this poses as a COVID-19 threat to those who are vulnerable. Another issue for residents is that 11 out of the 20 private drives have been blocked, with no access for drivers for the best part of 4 days and no end in sight.

One resident in particular, an 88 year old lady named Trish, who finds it hard to walk due to her arthritis and therefore relies on her car, has found this period particularly stressful. When I spoke to her she commented on the speed of the workers, saying “they’ll have a cure for this virus by the time this lot are finished”, highlighting her shared frustration.

Another serious consequence that has risen from the gasworks has been residents having to park their cars on the main road as not only does this cause major congestion, but overnight cars are vulnerable to theft in the area. This was proven when one resident had their cars catalytic converter (valuable due to rare metals found inside) was stolen. Cadent have tried to assist residents when parking on the main road, committing to paying any parking fines received by residents, however I have not heard of any solutions regarding stolen car parts as of yet.

Despite Cadent’s best efforts to keep residents happy, they are far from it, and with lots of dangerous consequences caused by the works along with no clear indication the target end date will be met, residents will be living unhappily with sights like these for the foreseeable future.