Moving Electricity cables and pole

[Donna Genaway]

Hi - we are in the process of buying a house which has an electricity pole in the back garden. We want to do a rear extension to the property when we move in, but would like to move the pole from the back to front of the property. There are also underground cables that run parallel to the rear of the house that serve our house and the next door neighbour. These would need to be moved to accommodate the extension. We have two concerns:
1) How much is this going to cost? I've spoken to Scottish & Southern and the girl had no idea. The application also takes 65 days!!! But we need to know this before we exchange in case its a deal breaker.
2) We have to get the neighbours permission to move their cable, what happens if they say no?

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mwatsonxx]

I doubt it would be possible to move the pole. The pole would have been located to suit incoming and outgoing cables. And those cables would somehow have to be rerouted to the front of the house.

Underground cables cables can built over by using adequate sleeving. But this would depend on existing depth and cable condition.

 

[Donna Genaway]

SSE have said that they can move the pole and underground cables but cant give me a cost until I complete application. I just need a rough idea £100's or £10,000's as this will impact on whether we buy the house!

 

[ericmark]

About 20 years ago the firm I was working for wanted a pole to be moved, it transpired they had already paid for the moving of the pole some 10 years earlier at a cost of £3000, but the electric board had not got around to moving it, so it seems not only is it expensive, but also it can take a long time.

My son moved into his house and again he wanted the supply to be moved from the rear of the house to front of the house, the supply cables came out of the ground at the front of the house, and were then clipped to the wall to go to rear, so he placed the new meter cupboard next to where the cables came out of the ground, it would seem an easy move, I seem to remember around £900 for the move, again 3 years down the line still waiting for supply to be moved. At the moment there is a 50 amp MCB in the old consumer unit feeding the new consumer unit.

It would seem the supply company can ask what they like, there is no upper limit, the only exception is where they never got permission in the first place. There is a woodland I visit where they failed to get permission to cross it, permission can't be granted as it's a SSSI site. The electric board have to pay every 5 years for trees to be trimmed, and have a 15 year time limit by which time the poles need to be moved, if it was not a SSSI site I am sure they would get away with felling trees, and would not need to move poles.

 

[Donna Genaway]

Ok, thanks ericmark! This gives me some hope that it's not going to be too expensive, but just time consuming!

 

[bernardgreen]

There are also underground cables that run parallel to the rear of the house that serve our house and the next door neighbour.

This suggests there may be a way leave involved. To install cable under private property to serve a different propoerty requires the land owner's permission. The terms of the way leave may provide a bargaining point for reducing the costs.

A friend has a pole at the bottom of his garden with overheads to four other houses and not his. This post will be moved out of the garden when the post reaches its end of life. To move it sooner was quoted as around 4 to 5 thousand pounds.

If the post in the garden you are looking to buy is a very old post it might be relocated as part of the renewal process. ( in this village posts put up in 1939 were not replaced until the 1990's )

 

[Donna Genaway]

Thanks Bernard. The development is only 7 years old, but yes there is a way leave agreement in place, which according to our solicitors doesn't transfer to new owners. So, yes hopefully this would put us in a good position as far as re-negotiating it's position etc. My worry is how much will it cost to move the underground cables to both ours and neighbours house? We are going to go and ask them if they would give their permission at the weekend, if they so no, then the deals off!

 

[bernardgreen]

is how much will it cost to move the underground cables to both ours and neighbours house?

The new connection to my cottage cost £900. I dug the trench and installed a duct for the cable they supplied. The junction point was under the grass verge at the side of the tarmac vehical access to my driveway. Had it been under the tarmac as planned it would have been £ 3000 due the the need for traffic management and restoring the surface. The traffic management would be a requirement of the local council who own the verge and the tarmac area.

Wayleaves normally do transfer to new owners when the property is sold.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But we need to know this before we exchange in case its a deal breaker.

IMO it's a deal breaker - walk away now.

I say that because you seem fixated on lack of uncertainty being vital, and you cannot get that. Almost all of the balls regarding the price of all of this, how long it will take to get a price, how long it will take to do the work, whether 3rd parties will be happy for their land to be dug up, etc, are all in other people's courts.

If you are happy to buy the place and then absorb into the extension project whatever costs there turn out to be, and whatever timeframes there turn out to be, and whatever intransigences from 3rd parties there turn out to be (wrt that remember that your neighbours will be consulted about PP for the extension), then fine.

But if you don't want those unquantifiable risks, walk away now.

 

[aptsys]

If you really want the place, I would budget at least £5000 for them to move the pole if they were willing to do it.

 

[Donna Genaway]

Thanks guys for the advice!

 

[HERTS P&D]

My neighbour was quoted £6000 to move a lamp post due to her having a drive installed.

I would be looking for another house or get a fixed price before you buy.

Andy

 

[Screech20]

HV or LV?

Got any photos?

 

[DaveHerns]

I'm guessing £10k+.

 

[HERTS P&D]

I'm guessing £20k +.

Andy