Can gas pipe people dig up garden for neighbour's extension?

archiball

Hope someone can help with this. Recently, a bloke came into my mum’s garden saying he would have to dig it up in order move the gas pipes. It turns out this guy was legit from the gas people but we’re not sure whether this is to move the meter for next door or to get gas to their new extension.We’re waiting on a letter to tell us more.


Needless to say my mum is pretty upset it, the whole extension thing has been pretty unpleasant and stressful for her.



What we would like to know is; can the gas infrastructure companies access and dig up my mum’s garden without permission to do so? Also, surely there’s other routes the gas supply/ pipes can take?


Thanks in advance.

Carrot007

Yes, they can access anything to do with their pipes.


They should however also restore it to where is was before (unless something weird was there that should not be). However that will probably be done shoddy at first and require complaints. Such is the way when most people accept shoddy.

Aylesbury_Duck

They need your mother's agreement (they can't just turn up and start digging) but she cannot reasonably withhold her consent. They have rights to access their property under your mother's property.

Apodemus

Surely the important question is whether they are digging up where the existing pipes are or whether they are digging to lay a completely new line? They will have rights to access their exiting network but would need to have dialogue with you over any new route across your land.

Davesnave

archiball wrote: »

What we would like to know is; can the gas infrastructure companies access and dig up my mum’s garden without permission to do so? Also, surely there’s other routes the gas supply/ pipes can take?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, if push comes to shove, utility companies may enter private land in order to maintain or extend services.

It's important you understand this before starting a battle you cannot win, but hopefully both sides will negotiate and find the least damaging solution.

There might be other routes the pipes could take, but every choice will have consequences which none of us here, including you, know about yet. Their reasons for the work are immaterial too, since the company won't be making unnecessary changes.

When I negotiated with an electricity company, we agreed to re-site a pole out of my neighbour's view, but that meant it had to go on my land, not the roadside. I'd have liked an option 3, but it wasn't feasible within a sensible budget. Those are the sort of hard choices that have to be made.

cranford

Just in case make sure you have photographs so that everything is re-instated.

archiball

Thank you for all the replies. Not sure of the reason yet as we've not had anything in black and white - basically my mum found this bloke in her garden who said he was looking to move the gas pipes! It took a bit of detective work to find out he was legit. I contacted the gas infrastructure folk who say they're going to write to her about it.



Going off what my mum remembers about what he said it sounds like they want to move the meter or to move the pipes for the new extension nextdoor, but as it's a semi-detached house I don't understad why they can't just move the pipes at the other side where there isn't a house / garden!


This whole saga has been rough on my mum so it just feels like another lot of unpleasantness she has to endure for someone else's benefit.


Sorry for the moan, and thanks again for the replies.