Date: 30th March 2017

Port Sunlight Village Trust Update Statement:

Paul Harris, Chief Executive of Port Sunlight Village Trust, commented:

“Firstly, our thoughts are with the residents of New Ferry and Port Sunlight following the explosion on Saturday evening, especially those who have been injured or suffered damage to their homes. The events of the weekend have shocked us all; however our communities have shown great resilience and community spirit.

“Trust  staff have been on-site since the incident occurred, working with the emergency services, Wirral Council, and local contractors to ensure the welfare of village residents and to secure properties damaged by the blast. This has been our primary concern in the first instance.

Over the coming weeks, once the police have completed their investigation and the site has been made safe, a full assessment of all damaged buildings will be carried out and repair work will begin. In some cases, this work will take several months to complete and we are working with Wirral Council to ensure all affected residents are suitably accommodated.

“We would like to thank all Port Sunlight residents for their patience, support and cooperation during this very difficult time.”

Key Contact Information

If you are in need of assistance or have any concerns, please get in touch with us.

For urgent repairs on PSVT properties call the Trust office on 0151 644 4800 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm) or Orbis Monitoring on 0151 357 7808 if you require a response out of hours.

For PSVT tenants with queries about tenancy, housing or welfare issues contact the Trust’s Housing Officer Lin Whalley on 0151 644 4805.

For owner-occupiers, private landlords and tenants of private landlords requiring advice on repairing damaged buildings contact the Trust’s Conservation Team on [email protected] and 0151 644 4814.

For owner-occupiers, private landlords and tenants of private landlords with queries about housing and welfare issues visit the Crisis Centre at New Ferry Village Hall, call the Crisis Team on 0151 666 5511 between 9am and 5pm or contact Housing Options on 0151 666 5511.

For all other enquiries and any advice, please call the Trust office on 0151 644 4800,