Scrutiny group set up to look at East Barnet gas problems has first meeting next week (From Times Series)

Scrutiny group set up to look at East Barnet gas problems has first meeting next week

10:55am Tuesday 23rd February 2010 in

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THE first meeting of a committee set up to look at the East Barnet gas crisis over Christmas is due to be held next week.

Barnet Council set up the panel of councillors in January to look into the problems and have asked residents to send in their accounts of what happened to help them make their judgements.

Representatives from utility companies will also be grilled at the meeting, in Hendon Town Hall, in the Burroughs, next Thursday, with two residents already scheduled to speak.

Many residents were left fuming after being without gas, and in some cases electricity, for more than a week, including on Christmas Day, after water got into gas pipes.

It is the first time Barnet Council has arranged an ad hoc scrutiny committee to look at such issues and it will be chaired by the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Brian Coleman.

He said: "It became abundantly clear to us that a large number of East Barnet residents were left inconvenienced for several days over the Christmas period, and many have raised concerns about the way all agencies involved responded to the situation.

"I want to hear from as many residents as possible so we are fully equipped to speak with authority on lessons that need to be learned for the future."

All written submissions for the meeting, which starts at 7pm, can be sent to jeremy.williams@barnet.gov.uk or call 020 8359 2042.