In my capacity of Co-Chair of Abel Collins Almshouses I have managed to find out. You might recall I blogged previously about some really bad customer service from British Gas Business – look at their credentials here though!
Yellow Barriers approved by the Secretary of State (for barriers)
In essence we paid British Gas Business £12,500 in July for a new gas main to serve a number of properties. The litany of excuses between then and now are fairly tedious. But work started today. We had been waiting for the Secretary of State (which one I was not told – yellow plastic barriers?) as we needed permission to work in the road. This is because the A52 is a designated Trunk Road. i.e. it’s busy.
I was delighted to hear that the work was to be done today – 136 days after they cashed the cheque. Not that I’m counting!
Imagine my disappointment when I saw the closure. You can see for yourself. This process has involved British Gas Business, Enterprise, Fulcrum, The Highways Agency, their agents, The Notts County Council and the Secretary of State. This is not to mention Nick Palmer (MP) and my professional team (Architect, engineer & Contractor). I wonder how many man hours have been used to achieve this ‘closure’. Hundreds? At least there were two blokes digging and no one watching! Two days work maximum – £12,500. I presume £12,000 is for ‘administration’?
Sometimes (actually – quite a lot of the time) I think / know the world has gone mad. Completely mad.
So I am going to move on and stop blogging about this. We have our official opening on Friday by the Sheriff of Nottingham – and I will blog a happy story I hope after the opening!
But rest assured that I think the role of the Secretary of State is an important one!
p.s. I am very grateful to Nick Palmer for helping us out!
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Update 19th November
I was right not to get too excited. It seems that British Gas have just realised that a Governor has gone missing; so I have a gas main but…no gas! Next week now before that gets sorted. They did ring me to explain, I have just run out of energy to express any form of emotion. Perhaps that’s their tactic. Grind you down?
