RESIDENTS in Lifton have been given the option of having mains gas with the completion of a £4-million project to bring mains gas to the Ambrosia Creamery.

The connection of Premier Foods’ Lifton-based factory to the natural gas mains pipe via a new 12 kilometre pipe will allow the factory to reduce its reliance on fuel oil brought by road. The pipe is now up and running.

The major infrastructure project has been completed by utility company Fulcrum at a cost of £4-million, to be paid over the next five years. It has involved crossing the River Tamar to bring the pipeline over from Launceston in Cornwall.

Residents in the village have now been given the option of connecting up to the gas supply, although they will pay the cost of connecting from their property to the main gas pipe.

Lifton Parish Council chairman Chris Edmonds, who is also the community’s borough councillor, said the project represented ‘a major investment for the company and an opportunity for residents and local businesses in Lifton to connect into the new gas supply and enjoy the benefits of mains gas’.

‘The 12-kilometre gas pipeline was brought from Launceston to Ambrosia using specialist equipment to overcome challenging terrain, including successfully crossing the River Tamar. The installer, Fulcrum, is in the process of contacting residents in the vicinity of the new gas main to give them an opportunity to obtain a quote for connection to the gas supply.’