Openreach excavating my block paved drive

Badger50

A fault has been identified in the telephone line between my house and the road and Openreach need to dig a trench to replace it. They have marked the line of the cable on the surface of my drive and have asked me (in a note) to remove blocks from where they need to work. I don't understand why they don't lift the blocks themselves. I suspect that if I do lift them they will refuse to reinstate them because they didn't lift them! I can't do it myself because of a disability. Am I expected to engage a paving contractor? I was told by Plusnet that there would be no charge for a line to be installed. Does anyone know whether it is usual for Openreach to ask householders to lift paving blocks? I thought they had civil engineering teams to do excavations and reinstatements and lifting blocks seems to be the easiest part of that, except perhaps for getting the first one or two out.

iniltous

OR would probably use a contractor in most situations where an excavation is required (and therefore a reinstatement)...with block paving , or any 'decorative' finish to a driveway , there may be a dispute with the its reinstatement, (you unhappy with the way it looks after its put back ) which leaves the OR's contractor or OR liable for a complete renewal of the drive,obviously potentially very expensive.
By requesting you do the necessary removal of the blocks ( and then the replacement of them ) if you were unhappy with the way the blocks went back, then it would be yourself or the contractors you employed problem and not Openreach's
As far as Plusnet making statements, they probably shouldn't make them without the caveat's that come with them, if the line was in and damaged by the original block paving contractor laying the drive, then you are liable for damage they did to OR's line plant , ( you obviously could try and claim against driveway company ) if the block paving was part of the original build, why did they put a cable under the drive in the first place.

DUTR

iniltous wrote: »

OR would probably use a contractor in most situations where an excavation is required (and therefore a reinstatement)...with block paving , or any 'decorative' finish to a driveway , there may be a dispute with the its reinstatement, (you unhappy with the way it looks after its put back ) which leaves the OR's contractor or OR liable for a complete renewal of the drive,obviously potentially very expensive.
By requesting you do the necessary removal of the blocks ( and then the replacement of them ) if you were unhappy with the way the blocks went back, then it would be yourself or the contractors you employed problem and not Openreach's
As far as Plusnet making statements, they probably shouldn't make them without the caveat's that come with them, if the line was in and damaged by the original block paving contractor laying the drive, then you are liable for damage they did to OR's line plant , ( you obviously could try and claim against driveway company ) if the block paving was part of the original build, why did they put a cable under the drive in the first place.

I was going to post similar in the early hours.

Badger50

It is an unusual situation. The previous occupiers didn't have an active landline. (I think they must have either used 4G data or possibly shared a neighbouring close relation's wifi). They put the paving in long before we bought the house.
According to Plusnet there was no line at the house and one would need to be installed. If I took out a new contract there would be no charge for installing a line. When the engineers visited they found there was a cable after all but there was a crackle on the line.
It's rather urgent and I certainly don't want to end up with a badly reinstated drive so I might well deal with the blocks. But it is annoying - the "Permission to carry out work on private property" form they left clearly states "...neither Openreach or its suppliers are able to guarantee a perfect match to the original surface due to the effects of age and weathering. [Fair enough] Openreach and its suppliers will however take all reasonable care to reinstate the surface to your satisfaction."
I have read on other forums that despite that last sentence they only ever make good with concrete or tarmac.

DUTR

Badger50 wrote: »

It is an unusual situation. The previous occupiers didn't have an active landline. (I think they must have either used 4G data or possibly shared a neighbouring close relation's wifi). They put the paving in long before we bought the house.
According to Plusnet there was no line at the house and one would need to be installed. If I took out a new contract there would be no charge for installing a line. When the engineers visited they found there was a cable after all but there was a crackle on the line.
It's rather urgent and I certainly don't want to end up with a badly reinstated drive so I might well deal with the blocks. But it is annoying - the "Permission to carry out work on private property" form they left clearly states "...neither Openreach or its suppliers are able to guarantee a perfect match to the original surface due to the effects of age and weathering. [Fair enough] Openreach and its suppliers will however take all reasonable care to reinstate the surface to your satisfaction."
I have read on other forums that despite that last sentence they only ever make good with concrete or tarmac.

There are two issues going on,
1) YOU need to allow for the cable to be installed/repaired .
2) YOU need to get the drive actioned (possibly at cost to you) .
As you have confessed it is not fair/right to expect the line provider to bear the cosmetic restoration (I'm surprised the cable is just placed in the earth and not running along some kind of duct, so they can pull through a new length of cable).

Badger50

re. 1) It is part of my contract with Plusnet that they will install a working line.

re. 2) I have not confessed it is not fair/right to expect the line provider to bear the cosmetic restoration. I think the opposite. I am just resigned to it.

But it is interesting to hear other points of view so thank you for that.

DUTR

Badger50 wrote: »

re. 1) It is part of my contract with Plusnet that they will install a working line.

re. 2) I have not confessed it is not fair/right to expect the line provider to bear the cosmetic restoration. I think the opposite. I am just resigned to it.

But it is interesting to hear other points of view so thank you for that.

Yes they will provide a working line, but not at 'any price', the possible losses are too much to commercialy bear.
I agree, you may just have to resign to it for the sake of working service, as other providers will have the same issue.
Personally I would have my own people lift some blocks and replace them if the cosmetic appearance is of paramount importance.

Badger50

DUTR wrote: »

Yes they will provide a working line, but not at 'any price', the possible losses are too much to commercialy bear.
I agree, you may just have to resign to it for the sake of working service, as other providers will have the same issue.
Personally I would have my own people lift some blocks and replace them if the cosmetic appearance is of paramount importance.

Yes, I think that is the way forward (if I can't negotiate an alternative solution such as use of a mole or running a surface cable along the walls).

iniltous

Probably part of the 'reluctance' on OR's part to get involved with your paving is that the contractors used are 'general' contractors and reinstating earth, Tarmac , or regular paving stones , is their normal work, block pavers are not necessarily part of their skill set so reinstating them could result in a less than professional finish, and that's why they would err on the side of caution.
Something to be aware of , you do have a right to phone service under the USO , but if pressed and the cost not just of lifting some blocks but reinstating the entire drive is taken into account , building a small joint box, and installing a pole in the footpath outside your property and 'flying' a drop wire to your property could be considered as the least potential cost option, if you insisted that service were provided as part of the universal service obligation

Badger50

Well that's a thought! But Mrs Badger50 would never agree to a pole. I'll go with the flow and get my own people to do the blocks. It won't come to the whole drive needing to be replaced - one of the advantages of block paving is that small areas can be reinstated perfectly by someone who knows what they are doing.