Following the tragic gas explosion in Cleat Hill on 19 October, in which two residents lost their lives, Richard has been actively working to address the issues raised by this devastating event. He has been in close contact with emergency services, Bedford Borough Council, and the local community, visiting residents at the St Mark's Church Hub, which is providing vital support. Richard also held a surgery on 26 October to hear directly from those affected and has requested urgent funding from the Home Office to assist the Council in managing their emergency response efforts.
The explosion has displaced several households, with Bedford Borough Council providing emergency accommodation and support while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) leads an investigation into the cause. Initial findings link the explosion to a natural gas discovery made during the installation of a ground source heat pump in July, raising concerns about the adequacy of existing regulations governing such drilling.
In response, Richard has written to multiple Ministers seeking answers about whether this is an isolated incident or indicative of a broader risk, what regulations govern deep drilling in residential areas, and whether regulatory changes will be introduced to prevent similar occurrences in future. He has also raised questions about the HSE’s role in ensuring safety when natural gas is discovered and the effectiveness of the measures taken in July to control the leak and safeguard residents.
In Parliament, Richard asked the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero for a meeting to discuss these issues and plans to raise them further in an adjournment debate on 21 November. He has already received one reply from the Department for Work and Pensions, which he shared with residents at a recent community meeting, while responses from other Ministers are still awaited.
Richard has also called on the government to provide financial support to Bedford Borough Council to help cover the unexpected costs arising from this incident and to address concerns about the potential impact on house prices and insurance premiums for those affected. He remains committed to ensuring residents receive the support they need and that robust measures are implemented to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Further details are available below.
