A 70-year-old gas main that supplies 15,000 properties on an island is set to be upgraded.

SGN is planning a £4.6 million project which will take 18 months to replace pipes beneath the Kingsferry Bridge, between the mainland and the Isle of Sheppey.

The main is the only gas line to the Island and it supplies schools, care homes, a hospital, prisons, extensive port facilities, businesses and homes.

It was originally installed in the 1950s, 10 years before the bridge opened, and is now reaching the end of its useful life.

SGN says train services should not be impacted by the project but temporary traffic measures will be put in place at times - but the firm says this will not affect travel to or from the Island.

It added it has no plans to interrupt the gas supply.

The new pipes will be installed 17 metres beneath The Swale and will connect to the existing network on either side of the water.

The gas provider says it will reduce the risk of leaks and ensure a resilient gas supply to the Island.

Cllr Dolley Wooster (Lab), who represents Sheerness on Swale council, welcomed the infrastructure improvement.

She said: “It’s good news as we cannot survive without gas infrastructure and it needs doing.”

Preparatory work is expected to start this coming autumn with engineering work beginning in spring 2025.

This timeline is subject to obtaining a Compulsory Purchase Order – an order that gives the SGN the right for the construction and operation of the project.

The Secretary of State has called a public inquiry to hear objections. It will sit between Tuesday, April 30 and Thursday, May 2.

SGN’s work will take place in four phases starting with environmental mitigation works, then moving on to installing its facilities along Ridham Dock Road on the mainland.

It will then install the new plastic pipe before finally removing the redundant old pipe.

Last year, Southern Water spent £7.5m on four pipes to bring water from the mainland to Sheppey.

The project began in October 2022, just three months after a major incident saw Sheppey lose water supplies for three days.

Following the incident, Southern Water not only promised a new pipeline to the Island but also paid compensation to those affected and donated £30,000 to local causes.