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Permalink Reply by Anne Corbett on December 10, 2018 at 21:13

My thanks to to the gas contractors and the gas operative who was first to arrive on Saturday morning.  He worked at speed to identify the source of the leak and acted quickly and bravely to alert residents. I spoke to residents who first  assembled near the Hatfield lawn and there was a general concern expressed that none of the  City emergency telephone numbers worked - people were put through to voicemail.  I don’t know how accurate this account was....  I think the gas contractor and the City of London Police were excellent and quick-acting. And if course a big thank you to Gary Maker and Theo Skerrit who work for Richard Cloudesley school. The request to shelter residents came from the City of London Police who went to the school just as the Saturday club children were leaving - Gary responded to the request immediately. 

I don’t know the cause of the gas leak but I am concerned that it was related to the demolition works on the old Richard Cloudesley site. I am also concerned  that the contractor did not appear to have a manager on site on Saturday morning. On Friday the vibrations and shaking from the works was very strong and I understand that the source of the gas leak was close to where a hole was dug. Probably best not to jump to conclusions or make hasty judgements. Let’s hope that we receive a full explanation and an aussurance that the site has been surveyed properly to check main service connections to Basterfield House. Before 1963 the site was a world war 2 bomb site and I understand that the school was built on a concrete slab. 

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Permalink Reply by Iain Meek on December 14, 2018 at 18:45

OMG- just read Paul Murtagh's letter of 14/12/2018.

Demolition work to start again on 17th December.... a meeting to discuss concerns very early in the new year!  Might we be on the streets again over Christmas?

What provision for shelter is planned if they do something so dangerous again?

His 'private and confidential' letter confirming that the leak was caused by the demolitions is at 

https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/356220758?profi...

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