NEWPORT City Homes has appointed a firm to upgrade the heating network in one area of Newport with the project expected to begin next month.

Some Duffryn residents went days without heating last winter after “a series of leaks” in the 1970s pipework, which has become less reliable with the passage of time and repairs.

Newport City Homes expect excavation work to begin in October, with the project set to finish in the spring 2024.

The housing association has appointed Vital Energi as the principal contractor for the works.

Sonia Furzland, Executive Director of Operations at Newport City Homes, said: “We’re pleased to announce this substantial investment in the Duffryn district heating system to upgrade the pipework and improve heating and hot water performance to more than 1,000 customers.

“As part of our regular monitoring, we have always replaced aging pipework across the heat network and carried out localised repairs. We have worked closely with specialists over recent months to assess the performance of the network and our surveys have shown that the pipework connecting the system to homes across Duffryn needs replacement.

“We’d like to thank our customers for the substantial support and patience during the leaks we experienced earlier this year, and over the last few months as we have carried out this urgent review. We hope this gives the community assurance that we are taking action in response to the issues we have seen.”

Ashley Walsh, Managing Director of Heat Networks at Vital Energi, said the work would “safeguard” heating services in Duffryn for "decades to come".