External wall gas pipes regulations?

[TKa]

hi
My local council is replacing all the gas pipes. My house is up a hill from the pavement so the gas people said it was tricky and that the only way was to route the copper gas pipe with plastic brackets on the external wall. Looks hideous but we weren't given another option. One bit of pipe runs directly under a drain pipe so water will drain onto the gas pipe when it rains. At another point it's through a walking passage which is less than a meter wide.
Questions are:
1. Is it okay for it to run a gas pipe under a drainpipe where water will drain onto it when it rains?! Surely not
2. Is there a minimum distance required to the gas pipe for narrow passages as presumely this is high risk area for damage
3. Is external running of gas pipes the only option? Why can't they dig a hole like on the street?

Thanks!

 

[Phill Peck]

Can you post some pictures to give us a better understanding.

 

[TKa]

 

[TKa]

 

[TKa]

I don't know if they broke they drainpipe to put it there or if it was broken already

 

[TKa]

This is the passage

 

[Phill Peck]

So they moved your meter and rerun in copper back to the existing connection?

 

[TKa]

No. Bit complicated. They seem to be running to replacement pipes in the street mainly by pushing the new pipes into the old pipes where possible.

They couldn't run the pipe up to the existing meter in the house. They said as my house goes up the hill, they suspected it had a lot of bends and the front garden is a mature garden with lots of paving and a big tree so they thought it wouldn't work. We have a granny annexe attached to one side of the house with a separate gas supply and had a separate run from the street. This was only built in the 70s so was less complicated. So they put a T bar pipe on the gas pipe to the annexe in order to supply the main house. But this meant a new gas meter next to the one for the annexe and the pipe to run along the front wall to get to where the old meter was under the stairs. Make sense?!

 

[TKa]

Yes re rerunning copper to the existing connection

 

[Dan Robinson]

Who owns the property?

 

[Phill Peck]

It's difficult for us to know for sure but as far as I can tell from your description. No reason a mole coiling be used.
What company is caring out the work?
Contact them and ask to speck to whomever is in charge of these works.
Explain your concerns and ask him to visit site.

 

[TKa]

Dan - I own the property but this is all part of the council changing all the pipes in the area.

Gasservice1985- not sure the company but can find out easily. Good idea re ringing them. Not sure what a mole coiling is!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Then tell them to dog leg over the downpipe.

Other than that, unless you're paying directly for the pipe, then I think your rights and expectations are somewhat limited.