Can I get BT to remove a pole?

GettinSadda

I am about to get an extension built on my house, but there is currently a BT pole right in the middle of where the extension is to go. This pole serves my house and a few others.

BT say that I will need to pay them over £1000 to move the pole. Apparently having the pole is one of the many conditions that you agree to when you get a phone line installed.

I will not need a phone line while the building work is being done and plan to sell the house soon after, so can I get my phone line removed and then ask for the pole to be removed at no cost to myself?

macman

So what about the other people the line is serving? When you bought the house there would have been an existing wayleave that allowed the BT pole to be there.
If you want it moving then you will have to pay them to do so.

GettinSadda

I have never signed a wayleave with BT.

There are also electricity poles on our property and when I spoke to the electricity board they sent me a wayleave to sign and a cheque for doing so.

macman

GettinSadda wrote: »

I have never signed a wayleave with BT.

There are also electricity poles on our property and when I spoke to the electricity board they sent me a wayleave to sign and a cheque for doing so.

You don't have to. When you bought the house the wayleave already existed, you just took it over.
Many years ago BT used to pay an annual rental on poles on private land, (I recall my parent's had one) but it was about 10p a year, so I think they later just offered small lump sums in perpetuity because it was cheaper than mailing a 10p cheque every year.