Locating underground utilities - is there a central database?

[Rollerball]

I may soon need to dig a small rainwater drainage trench across my drive (it'll only be a foot deep at most) but I first want to be sure that there are no utilities running under the drive (water, electric or telephone+fiber - there's no gas in my area so that's one to rule out). Is there any one location that I can check online to see what's under the drive or is there no regularly updated database that covers all of the the utility companies?

If not then will the utility companies need to be contacted individually or do they perhaps have their own online databases showing cables, water pipes, etc?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Only one foot deep, should rule out everything, except telephone/fibre. The utilities, might have a very rough idea, but just dig carefully.

 

[Dereekoo]

Well when I worked for the WC we had to to write to all the different utilities to ascertAin the whereabouts of their apparatus, whether there is a central register and who would be responsible for its constant update thus taking on duty of care responsibilities for such service accuracies ( or not) I very much doubt. For such a small trench and depth carefully work with a spade should suffice
Any services tend to run straight from your property to the rooad servicing the property so you should have a fair indication what to expect

 

[gas112]

Plans showing where electricity cables are | UK Power Networks

Are you working near underground electricity cables? You can request plans online. Find out more.

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

 

[Murdochcat]

Just bear in mind that older properties the incoming electrics and phone line might be just below the surface

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. As the property is relatively old there is a concern that some things might not be buried as deep as they should be.

 

[Brigadier]

Dig carefully.

I wouldn't trust a plan (especially one that - almost inevitably - was produced by someone far removed from the people who installed the services in the first place