A road in Tipton St John is to be closed for five weeks for gas pipe upgrading work.

The road between Tipton St John Primary School and The Orchard will be closed from Monday, August 2 until Monday, September 6 – the school summer holiday.

The work in the Tipton Vale area by Wales & West Utilities will begin on Thursday, July 29 and is due to finish by the end of October, barring any engineering difficulties.

Why is the work needed?

The company says the long project is essential to keep the gas flowing safely and reliably to local homes and businesses.

It will also ensure that the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, under plans to decarbonise the gas supply for environmental reasons.

Wales & West has worked closely with Devon County Council to plan the work and said the road closure is necessary to keep its engineers, and the local community, safe.

The engineers will observe Covid guidelines while carrying out the work, which will involve going into some customers' homes.

• Before entering customers' homes, engineers will wash their hands with soap and water.
• While in customers' homes, they'll wear face coverings and eye protection, and may ask anyone else in the house to stand in another room while they are working.
• When working in the street, they'll social distance as far as possible, and would urge local people who may be passing to keep 2m away from work sites.

Anyone with questions about the work can contact the company's customer service team on Freephone 0800 912 2999 or [email protected]. They can also be contacted via Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities.