new gas pipes devaluing my house!

[Markbon]

Hello. Not sure if this is the right place for this question but would appreciate any help.
Our area is having gas supply pipes updated and it seems all the houses around mine need to be connected under my driveway. As they had trouble finding the pipe they had to do several explorations to find where to connect which has left my drive in a mess. As Its a concrete drive it obviously cant be invisibly mended and ive been told they will just patch it back up. Its going to look terrible and ive got the hump. Anyone know my rights? I would like the damaged section completly replaced.

 

[calorific]

Who owns the land?

 

[noseall]

If it is concrete then it will have been laid in sections.

If only one section is damaged then it would be reasonable to expect them to replace a complete section.

 

[Markbon]

Hello

Its my drive.

It is in sections your right. and I thought that especially as the trench theyve dug is nearly as long as that section they would replace it but the fitter reckons the team that follows to make good will just fill the trench and they never do any more than that.

 

[calorific]

Might be worth a call to the company concerned

 

[Markbon]

I'll try and find which company to contact. If I just talk to the contractors doing it they will fob me off as it'll eat into their profits. But I spose its the gas company I need.

 

[calorific]

If the Gas Company authorise them to replace the whole section instead of just patching it up, the subcontractor won't be out of pocket - they'll just invoice a larger fee.

 

[Markbon]

I thought this stuff was all done on price these days?

 

[ianmcd]

Just find out who the Gas Transporter is that has authorised the work and tell them you want the whole section replaced , they only have rights of access if it is to repair a gas escape and even then they have to reinstate to origional condition

 

[Markbon]

According to a website I just found its southern gas network. So guess thats the way to go.

 

[Agile]

Its somewhat questionable what rights they have to place gas pipes serving other properties without those owners having a wayleave agreement with you!

One of the problems you can have is that they may just drop some concrete into the top of the trench and it will sink over the next few months and the surfacing concrete they have laid can crack or even subside.

As a minimum it should be laid on 150 mm of compacted hardcore. That means machine compacted too!

Tony

 

[ianmcd]

Afraid Tony/Agile is talking absolute **** again, if a utility wants to dig up your driveway they MUST return it to its origional condition or to a condition that you both agree on, the only time that this is different is in the case of emergency repairs where they may be able to carry out temporary reinstatement but must carry out permanent repairs to the satisfaction of all parties, regardless of any access rights which they do have , but these rights are only for access to service communal utillity services

 

[Markbon]

To bring you up to date. I just turned the lads who came to fill it in away. Because the soil that had been filled back in last week hadnt been compacted despite being 3 ft deep. there was one patch he did that was only for foot traffic and when he left I had little dig as he did it so quickly and I couldnt see how he had done it properly and it was 1 inch thick!! and that was on made up ground. Turns out my neighbour told them they couldnt dig his drive up so looks like thats why they did it on my mine.

 

[Markbon]

Ok had the area manager or whatever he's called out and was basically told its tough. He said they just patch it up. The best he can do is have the edges cut square.

 

[RF Lighting]

Tell em to take the pipes that go to any where else but your house off your land.

Sounds like they are just trying to maximise their profits by doing a bodge job.