East Barnet gas debacle: report of the scrutiny committee meeting
National Grid could not cope when a water mains burst cut gas supplies to 3,500 East Barnet homes and businesses over Christmas.
The energy network operator came under fire at a meeting of Barnet Council's scrutiny committee last week (4 March).
National Grid told the commitee it struggled to bring the emergency under control as water gushed through the gas mains and into some households. And it said that two national call centres had failed to keep up with calls for advice during the crisis.
Barnet Council officers claimed advice letters that should have been sent out to the East Barnet community had been 'sat on' by National Grid lawyers. A National Grid spokesman claimed, however, that the letters had been delayed because of a technicality and because "it was too dark" to deliver them on December 23 - four days after the gas supply was cut.
The company again snubbed calls to increase compensation to householders and businesses.
Bernard Walsh, of Brookhill Road, who spoke on behalf of residents said:
I am staggered that, despite National Grid's admission that it could not cope with this crisis, the company is refusing to re-consider its compensation offers. The figures paid out have varied by £500 from neighbour to neighbour. Some of the shops have lost thousands of pounds but National Grid is only prepared to offer them £50 a day. These small businesses had to pay employees' wages with or without gas.
The Scrutiny Committee presents its conclusions at a meeting at Hendon Town Hall on March 18th at 7pm.
East Barnet gas debacle: attend the scrutiny committee
Two and a half months after a gas breakdown plunged 3,500 households and businesses in East Barnet into Arctic temperatures, Barnet council launches an inquiry into the emergency on Thursday night. Bernard Walsh orchestrated a campaign aimed at bringing those responsible for the crisis to account.
The meeting of the council's scrutiny committee will examine why shivering residents and shop owners were stranded as utility companies, local authority officials and emergency services failed to communicate with them during the crisis.
The loss of gas caused severe problems during the festive period, but the total lack of communication exacerbated the problem.
National Grid appears to be using pre-agreed compensation guidelines to ride roughshod over people's needs. This gas breakdown cost people money, hard cash from their pockets. All National Grid are offering is £30 a day compensation for households and £50 for businesses. The £multi-billion organisation threw in £100 per day for homes cut off on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
National Grid has ducked calls for increased compensation to make good the anguish caused by failure to tell people what was going on. And local councillors also went into hiding - until I called for a public meeting two weeks ago. It's a pity those councillors couldn't knock on a few doors to communicate with people during the breakdown - they'll be doing just that in the next month or so in the run-up to the election.
Following the public meeting at New Barnet Community Centre, National Grid held two and a half days' of surgeries at East Barnet Baptist Church, to track down all 3,500 premises affected by the cut off - around 350 people made it to the surgeries.
Scrutiny committee chairman Cllr Brian Coleman has snubbed calls to hold the meeting in or close to East Barnet, meaning many of the vulnerable people who were left high and dry by the communication breakdown will again be denied the chance to have their say.
The meeting, which will take - only limited - evidence from residents, takes place at Hendon Town Hall, the Burroughs, NW4 4BG at 7pm on Thursday 4 March. Official papers available here.
Bernard Walsh
