MAJOR concerns have been raised about the Island’s gas network as another leak forced road closures, an emergency services response and overnight repair works.
Sections of St Saviour’s Hill were closed to traffic as Island Energy staff worked to make the area safe.
It comes as large parts of the Millennium Town Park remain dug up and cordoned off following a leak more than a month ago.
A Freedom of Information request published in January revealed that there have been 258 call-outs for reported gas leaks since 2016 – with a marked increase in the previous three years.
The latest in the series of leaks was discovered when, on Wednesday evening, an Islander called Island Energy’s 24-hour emergency line to report that they smelled gas on St Saviour’s Hill.
Engineers from the firm subsequently identified a gas leak in the mains network near the junction of Deloraine Road and Chasse Brunet.
As a result, drivers travelling up St Saviour’s Hill were diverted through Chasse Brunet, and drivers travelling down St Saviour’s Hill had to be diverted by Bagatelle Road.
Engineers from Island Energy worked overnight on Wednesday to “make it safe” and the work continued throughout yesterday.
Island Energy currently expect that St Saviour’s Hill will re-open later today, once testing is complete, the road is re-filled and the tarmac has set.
In a statement, Island Energy thanked residents for their understanding amid the diversions.
“Diversions are in place to send traffic away from the area while access to premises is being maintained.
“Island Energy is working with the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service and the States of Jersey Police and Honorary Police while the road remains closed. We would like to thank motorists, pedestrians and residents for their understanding.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to remind Islanders that if they smell gas or suspect a gas escape to call our 24-hour emergency line on 01534 755555.”
St Saviour Constable Dave Curtis confirmed that no residents needed to be evacuated from their homes “as of yet”.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr Curtis said: “Honorary police are stood down at the diversions and I have not heard of any residents having too much trouble, and no one has been evacuated as of yet.
“We have an emergency response team at the Parish Hall if need be, but evacuations would be instigated by the police and Island Energy. We were informed of this by message at about 1am and we were ready to go down and support but we didn’t need to”.
Last month, a “gas escape” identified by Island Energy engineers in Millennium Park forced a chunk of the park to be barricaded off, and several signs were put up advising Islanders not to smoke within the area.
Despite identifying the problem, the cordoned off area has since been expanded and, when JEP reporters visited the Park, there were no engineers on site. There were also reports that children had been playing near the fenced-off zones, with some suggesting that children had been spotted entering the holes in the unmanned site.
PREVIOUS LEAKS
The FOI request from earlier this year showed how many times the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service attended a suspected gas leak.
This is not necessarily the same as a confirmed leak, as Island Energy would need to confirm whether or not the call out was determined to be a gas leak. Island Energy is not subject to the Freedom of Information law.
According to the figures, there were 14 suspected incidents in 2022, rising to 52 in 2023, 63 in 2024 and 74 last year. The stats represented a 600% increase in calls made to the emergency services for suspected gas leaks since 2020.
Some notable incidents include:
- On 14 December 2024, more than 50 homes were evacuated after a gas leak at Clos Mourant, a busy residential area. Those affected forced to spend the night with relatives, friends or at hotels before being allowed home the following morning.
- On New Year’s Eve in 2025, residents from a block of Andium Properties on La Colomberie were evacuated after smelling gas and making a call to Island Energy. Work went on throughout the day and residents were not permitted back into their homes until 10pm that night.
- On Wednesday 15 January 2025, Islanders from 21 flats in Le Geyt Estate were evacuated and hotels were provided overnight for those with nowhere else to stay.
- This February, occupiers of a house on Route des Camps in St Brelade were forced to temporarily vacate their home. The leak was detected by engineers after an alarm was raised via Island Energy’s emergency helpline. Engineers took gas readings and the occupiers were told to leave their home, which was not connected to the gas network.
- In July this year, the Les Cinq Chênes Homeowners’ Association wrote to Island Energy asking to urgently disconnect their gas supply after a series of suspected gas leaks left homeowners fearing there could be wider problems with the network.
ISLANDERS SAY:
Mary Hansen: “Maybe it’s time to switch Jersey’s gas supply off at the source and Island Energy can pay for the swap to another energy source. With all the leaks, explosion, lack of maintenance. I think it’s time.”
Sue Deans: “Gas is now a frightening word.”
Dumby AllmanMatt: “At what point would it just be cheaper to replace all gas devices than to keep knee-jerk repairing all these defective pipes and dealing with the fallout?”
Sophie Reid: “Be nice to have let business owners know that they can’t get to work.”
Kayleigh Bonquiqui Dillon: “As a resident I would like to know why we haven’t been informed properly? There are many elderly people living in this area with no access to social media.”
Keely Hegarty: “My main thought is I hope no one loses their life due to the appalling maintenance by this energy company.”
Chris Spence: “Island Energy need to do a check of all their pipes throughout the Island.”
Juliette Jameson: “There is always a problem about the gas. It should be stopped for good. It must cost money to do this.”
Juliette Blanchard: “How many gas leaks are too many, and the whole old pipe system needs looking at?”
