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Probe into cause of estate power surge
ALMOST a year after a power surge knocked out electrical items and left hundreds of homes in the dark on a Bridlington housing estate, councillors are finally hoping to find out exactly what went wrong.
Supply company CE Electric UK initially offered good will payments of up to 500 to those affected on the New Pasture Lane estate and gave support by way of a hot food van for customers, priority reconnections and help for the most vulnerable by restoring essentials like heat, light and refrigeration and offered hotel accommodation.
However, the company has never admitted liability for any of the damage to customers' property which happened on Sunday, November 18 last year, claiming it was not due to any negligence on their part and the fault could not have been forseen.
The fault in a power supply transformer near Burstall Hill estate blacked out 550 homes.
There was also a high voltage power surge which blew domestic equipment such as computers and TVs to fridges, cookers, kettles and phones, damaged complete wiring systems and, in some cases, caused small fires to 171 homes, both private and council owned.
Ward councillor Richard Burton, who spent many hours at the scene, is a member of East Riding of Yorkshire Council's environment and transport committee
At the committee's meeting yesterday was hoping to quiz CE Electric representatives about the findings of their own health and safety investigation.
"We still do not know exactly what cause the power surge, or if CE Electric UK will change its stance over liability.
"It is also an opportunity for the committee to look at what happened and learn for the future. For example, one thing to emerge was that many people's home insurance did not cover them for this kind of incident," said Coun Burton.
A report to yesterday's meeting held in Beverley said 70 of the affected properties were council owned and needed 30,500 spending on repairs.
The bill for replacement of mainly computer equipment at New Pasture Lane School, came to 29,000.
Services providing support such as the community wardens and adult services, had not been quantified, said the report.
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Weather for Bridlington
Thursday 24 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
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