Whitehall STILL closed after ‘serious gas leak’ amid safety concerns

A major central London street is still closed several days after a “serious gas leak” was reported near the Cenotaph due to safety concerns.

Whitehall, in Westminster, has been closed since the early morning of Sunday, February 27, following reports of a smell of gas in the area of the Cenotaph.

Emergency engineers from Cadent Gas are carrying out the “challenging repair” which saw a large crane removed from above a gas main.

While the Met Police have confirmed the road, which houses several government departments, including the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence, remains closed.

A Cadent spokesperson said yesterday evening: “Our engineers are continuing work on the challenging repair of a leak on a gas pipe that runs deep under Whitehall/Parliament Street.

“This work started immediately after the successful removal earlier this afternoon of a very large crane that had been in position directly above it.”

They added: “Our team has been monitoring gas readings and liaising with the owners of 49 to 54 Parliament Street, regarding when it will be safe to reoccupy these buildings.

“There are positive signs that readings are reducing, but we need to be absolutely sure it is safe to reoccupy the buildings. Safety is always our top priority.

“Work continues through the evening to find where the gas is coming from and, once located, start the work to repair it.”

Westminster City Council has confirmed the existing road closure up to Parliament Square will remain in place today (Tuesday, March 1).

Whitehall/Parliament Street itself are fully closed, from Derby Gate to Horse Guards Avenue.

And the council and gas board will confirm ongoing traffic management arrangements.

Pedestrians are also unable to use the street, while access is maintained to Derby Gate.

A Met Police spokesperson told LondonWorld: “Whitehall has been closed due to a serious gas leak which engineers continue to work on.”

Protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine which were set to be held in the area over the weekend and on Monday were relocated to Trafalgar Square.

James Harrison, north London network director at Cadent, said on Sunday: “We need the large crane at the junction of Derby Gate, King Charles Street and Parliament Street to be removed before we can complete our emergency repair work.

“The removal of the crane will take some time and we estimate that we won’t be able to start our work until Monday morning.

“Properties along Parliament Street from the Cenotaph to the junction with Derby Gate have been advised to work from home on Monday due to noise and safety reasons.

“We will have emergency engineers on site throughout the night, with new engineering teams ready to start our emergency work as soon as possible, on Monday morning.

“Our priority is keeping everyone safe, and they are.”