Digging a Trench Under Council-Owned Land

[Guelderrose]

Hello and apologies if I'm asking this in the wrong place.

Following a smell of gas in our external meter cupboard we have had the meter and regulator replaced but our system still fails a pressure drop test. The gas engineer's assumption is that there's a leak under the house somewhere and proposes fitting a replacement supply pipe outside the house.

We are an end-terrace and the land immediately to the side of the house is amenity land belonging to the Borough Council. We are looking at digging a trench 45 cm deep and 45cm out from the house wall to accommodate a new underground gas pipe. I've been told that you can use the first 100 cm outside your boundary to maintain your property but I'm not sure that goes as far as digging it up! There are no issues with paths or pre-existing utilities.

I'm reluctant to contact the council as a first move on the "better to ask forgiveness than permission" principle. I'm not altogether sure whether the gas engineer will lay a pipe if we don't have specific permission or, given that we will dig the trench ourselves, the presence of a trench will suffice. Or whether there would be any repercussions for him if he did?

I appreciate that having a copper pipe attached to the outside of the house would be an alternative, but this feels unsafe given metal thefts in our area and the fact that the pipe would be facing the council land on our blind wall.

Any general principles that apply or specific help would be much appreciated,

Joyce

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome Guelderrose

maintenance means stand on lay on top no more you still need permission to place anything temporary or even walk on the land not sure why you think you would be allowed to bury something in some one elses land without there permission
are you 100% sure the boundary is your house wall??

 

[^woody^]

The gas supply company would have the authority to lay a new supply pipe on that bit of land