rotten garden wall rebuild and 11kV power cable

[securespark]

If they claim there is a signed wayleave giving them permission, demand to see a copy and ask why they haven't paid you.

I happen to know that wayleave archives are very poor.

Surely if that arrangement was set up with a previous owner, the DNO don't have to do anything with the cable or pole?

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

Surely if that arrangement was set up with a previous owner, the DNO don't have to do anything with the cable or pole?

its a registered land charge/restrictive covenant linked to the original conveyance for the substation. Our property (and all the others on the east side of the close where the HV cable runs) are caught as part of the subsequent owners clause....so we are all bound up! In the meantime I'm still waiting for the 'local depot' of SSE to come up with their solution......

 

[securespark]

Their solution will be "Hard cheese, mate..."

 

[bernardgreen]

Has there been any progress with this ?

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

Update 4th June....no progress! SSE have come back from their wayleaves dept and said "....The cable that has been exposed is at an unsafe depth and therefore the cable needs to be buried to make it safe. Our solution to put the situation right is to raise the levels on top and around the cable as it runs behind the now removed sleepers and underneath the concrete. In order to make it safe, it is likely there will be some adjustment in the way you use the path in its current format."

I have rejected this bodge suggestion, not least because it will make access into our garden much harder...and its a bodge. I have referred it to HSE for advice. I am also engaging our house insurance legal cover.

Meanwhile the dodgy wall issue is still there....

 

[JohnD]

Ask them for a copy of the Wayleave so you can examine its terms. Insist on the actual original terms signed by the previous owner of your house, showing the date and signature.

I happen to know something.

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

Thanks JohnD. I have the original easement which takes the form of a binding conveyance between original owner and Southern Electricity Board in 1967. This was for the transfer of land for the substation at the bottom of the close along with the connecting underground/overground cables, poles and ducts running across the other parts of owner's lane. They say that because the easement says 'approximate route' they can and did stick the cable where they like and its my fault the wall fall exposed the cable. This is a comparison of two images (we are house nearest the pole). Original easment - looks more or less tight to the boundary to me - running north (up) from the pole. The second image is the actual line of the cable...all over the show. Now to me that doesn't look enough of a match to be called 'approximate' as I would think approximate would mean any route within a defined/hatched corridor...otherwise whats the point in having a plan. I'll take other views gladly.

 

[JohnD]

It seems to me that the original plan put the duct close to the boundary where it would be clear of the buildings

but the as-dug is too close to the buildings. And does not look reasonable

I knew of incidents occurring where people worked off the plan and hit cables that did not correspond with it. AFAIK they were rerouted.

this probably needs a person with legal experience of such disputes. I'm sure you will not be the first.

I notice that as well as the route not corresponding to the plan, SSE say it was buried at an unsafe depth. One wonders how it came to be done so badly.

One might reasonably say that the cost and inconvenience of putting right the poor installation should fall on the person responsible for the installation.

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

Bit of an update as its now been over a year since first reporting this. The cable is still there and I've hauled out all the rotten sleepers. SSE has come back to me with a legal letter saying they can do what they want where they want....but at least I don't have to agree a new 3m easement now. That's nice of them so I've also responded that they need to stick the thing back on its legal line (so I can re-do the wall). I've also freed up the route the cable should be on by removing polytunnel, removing shed, breaking out concrete base for oil tank and getting rid of all the slabs (geez those council 3x2s are heavy!). Its a right bloody mess now and my missus is rightly cross with me and SSE for ruining her garden for the summer. ANYWAY - there's no excuse for the cable to be moved now and then I can sort the walls etc. I'll post again if I get a result.

 

[i_am_fubar]

If it's any consolation, I deal with 40-80kv cables daily with much less armour than that will have. Safety risk is minimal.

That said, a well placed bonfire may twist the arm of the authorities

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

Another update. It's off to the local MP now to see if he can shake anything loose.... as SSE has gone dark/radio silence about all of this. I think they are waiting for our neighbour to apply and pay for a cable diversion so that they end up funding our garden's work...

 

[bernardgreen]

Close shave
Digger operator saw a fragment of the warning tile in the bucket and stopped

A fibre service work crew were digging to locate a telephone cable duct and hit the ducts for an 11kV main supply cable. This was today (24th June) about 100 yards from my house. Less than 45 minutes after the call to National Grid an inspector was on site.

 

[Scally-Ho]

@oakysmokyjoky There are no photos of the top portion of the Utility Pole and as this whole topic/thread has just gained my attention and interest, I am curious as to the feeds up to and away from that UP. Next time you are taking photos, I'd appreciate some of the pole, its cables at the top and anything else concerning the UP . . thanks

PS .. I am a shareholder of SSE and just about to read the portion of the latest annual report concerning distribution.

 

[oakysmokyjoky]

@bernardgreen That duct - probably just put a sandbag on it

@Scally-Ho Top portion of pole - here's some images taken just now.

 

[Scally-Ho]

Thanks for the photos. Yes, the 3ph 11Kv overhead does indeed drop down and then run underground to a transformer farm/substation somewhere to serve local LV supplies. IMO this must be a somewhat old arrangement not to have delta-star pole mounted trannies before serving a smallish community. It's situations such as this makes me glad my local supplies are all underground from overheads about a straight mile away.