South Kesteven District Council caps tenants’ gas supply amid safety inspection warnings
Residents have been urged to comply with gas safety inspections, after a council capped off the supplies to a number of tenants.
The warning was issued during a recent meeting of South Kesteven District Council’s housing scrutiny committee on Thursday (March 22).
The council recently threatened to turn the gas off for 17 of its properties, with seven continuing not to comply. It looks after council properties in Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping.
After switching off those properties, four complied while three remain outstanding.
Coun Phil Dilks (Ind) highlighted significant progress in achieving compliance with safety inspections.
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He noted a remarkable 99% compliance rate in gas servicing, crediting diligent resident outreach for the success..
Despite multiple attempts through letters, emails, phone calls, and court orders, some tenants have remained non-compliant, leading to the potential capping of gas supplies in certain cases.
“We’ve written to tenants saying we’d like to come and test your gas supply to make sure it's safe, not just for you, but we don't want to blow your house up and we also don't want to see your neighbours blown up as well,” said Coun Dilks.
On the improved figures, he added: “I just think that is a big improvement and people should know, you know, we take these tests seriously.
“They should be done. It is about the risk of not just their own lives, but the lives of their neighbours as well.”
Committee chairman Councillor Virginia Moran (Ind) emphasised the catastrophic risks associated with gas-related incidents, underlining the council's commitment to preventing tragedies.
“Nobody wants to put anybody's gas off but there comes a limit when it's not just them that's at risk, it's their neighbours as well.
“Gas is just catastrophic if something happens it’s just awful.”
She acknowledged the reluctance to disrupt residents' gas supply but stressed the necessity to ensure overall community safety.
Phil Swinton, the health and safety lead, reiterated the council's approach, emphasising that capping gas supplies was an absolute last resort.
He also acknowledged the challenges in maintaining a consistent compliance rate, citing fluctuations due to various factors such as service changes and court proceedings.