Our posh village is being ruined for months by roadworks to install EV chargers – we can't go to the shops or pub | The Sun
RESIDENTS of a posh village say it is being ruined by roadworks to install new EV chargers.
Locals of Harthill, Yorkshire, have been left outraged by the five month-long "nightmare" that has cut them off from shops and pubs.
The roads have been dug up to put in new underground cables to serve charging points for electric cars at the nearby M1 service station as well as some village infrastructure.
John Homer, who runs the local butcher's shop, claimed he had lost thousands of pounds worth of trade due to the disruption.
He told Yorkshire Live: "It’s just a nightmare.
"There’s no benefit to the village at all.
READ MORE MOTORS NEWS
LOW SPARK
I've driven thousands of cars – no one wants to buy an EV for these three reasons
FINE MESS
I got £90 Ulez fine after being duped by scam while taking sick son to hospital
"It’s going to take another three weeks of them being right outside and then even when it goes round the corner, it’s still going to be restricted."
The energy company in charge of the project, Northern Powergrid, maintains that it will benefit the village and improve the local electricity grid.
But for baker Ian Maycock, it is nothing but a "pain".
He said: "It’s causing lack of business, we’ve lost about a third.
Most read in Motors
GOOD AS NEW
I’m a car expert – save hundreds by using cheap item to get rid of scratches
TOP RIDE
I’ve made £50k with my car side hustle – I bought TWO new motors with extra cash
FREE OF CHARGE
I’ve been driving EVs at work for 10 YEARS but I would NEVER buy one
RAIN OR SHINE
I drive £52k EV – weather has to be absolutely perfect or there are problems
"We don’t have a say, we just have to get on with it."
And greengrocer Emma Bennett agreed, claiming that the high street is "a lot quieter" than usual as a result of the work, adding that it was "frustrating".
Likewise, the manager of The Beehive, the village pub, slammed the project as causing "massive disruption" and asked why the cables couldn't have been laid under a field rather than the village roads.
However, Northern Powergrid are adamant that the new lines will benefit the village and that they were supporting the local community.
A spokesperson for the company said: "We are delivering a £7.7 million investment scheme to increase the resilience of the electricity network in Harthill with Woodhall.
"This enhanced infrastructure will enable more electric vehicle charging at Woodall Services – one of the busiest motorway services in the north of England – as well as increasing the reliability and resilience of the network for residents and businesses.
"We’d like to thank residents, customers and businesses for their patience and we will keep them informed at every stage of the work."
They also stated that they had to lay the cable under a public highway so it could be easily accessed for maintenance and repairs.
The company claimed it had "proactively promoted" diverted routes into the village and supplied signage to inform potential customers that the businesses near the works were operating as normal.
Work will be demobilised for most of December, while being "fast-tracked" before then, and will resume on a smaller scale in January 2024.
Sam Barstow, Assistant Director of Community Safety and Street Scene at Rotherham Council said: "Rotherham Council cannot refuse access to utility companies that need to carry out works on our roads.
"We have been working closely with Northern Powergrid to ensure these works are carried out to schedule and disruption is kept to a minimum.
"Access to the village has always been maintained either by the use of traffic lights or a signed diversion."
Read More on The Sun
show stopping
Strictly fans break down in tears at emotional opening number from pros
BIG CHANGE
Big Brother’s Craig Coates unrecognisable 18yrs on from the show
It comes after a mum was handed a hefty ULEZ fine for taking her son to hospital after being duped by a scam.
Meanwhile, a savvy driver who made £50,000 with his car-related side hustle revealed that he used the extra cash to buy two new motors.
Source: Read Full Article