THE Utility Regulator has approved the extension of FIrmus Energy Ltd’s natural gas network to the electoral wards of Bessbrook and Camlough.
And the move has been welcomed by local Assemblyman Mickey Brady, who described it as “good news” in terms of construction jobs and social housing.
“I was contacted some months ago by Clanmil Housing Association who were seeking support for their application to allow them to tap into the gas pipeline for the proposed 62 dwellings at Green Road in Bessbrook,” said the Sinn Fein representative.
“There is a need for social housing in the Newry area and hopefully this development will go some way to helping ease this problem.
“For some reason the application for the pipeline hadn’t been applied for at the beginning of the building work, and we facilitated a meeting between Firmus and Clanmil to try and help resolve the issue.
“Following this meeting we wrote to the Regulator requesting them to grant permission for the extension of the pipeline. This has now been permitted and will allow for the continuation of the building work.”
The approval also allows the nearby St Paul’s High School in Bessbrook to connect to the system if they so wish, as well as other properties in the vicinity.
Mr Brady added: “I would like to thank the Regulator and I hope that this news allows local people to choose their preferred type of home energy, which should, through time, help alleviate the ever increasing cost of heating our homes.”
