GPO concrete marker post (Openreach)

Kara_P

We have a small GPO concrete marker post the sticks out of the ground (~40cm) a few centimeter from our property boundary line like the one here:
http://www.ringbell.co.uk/nostalgia/aat.htm

We would like to move it a few feet or alternatively place a flat marker where the post currently stands. I called Openreach and they stated they will have to do a site survey before they could even tell me what could be done. The survey is £297+VAT and they cannot tell me what the potential follow up cost would be. We are not altering the ground in anyway just want the ability to drive our car over where the post currently sits.

Has anyone had this issue managed to rectify it without getting the site survey done? Or could offer advice of how we could proceed without the expensive site survey and unknown costs to alter it. Many thanks!

Aylesbury_Duck

I can't see how you can avoid the survey or the cost of it. They will need paying to assess the situation and see what options there are. It's possible that the money will be wasted if they determine there isn't a viable solution but if there is a viable solution, it's simply part of the cost of (presumably?) extending your driveway or whatever it is you are trying to achieve. Be warned that it might be very expensive, especially if the solution has to be robust enough to be driven across.

Kara_P

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

I can't see how you can avoid the survey or the cost of it. They will need paying to assess the situation and see what options there are. It's possible that the money will be wasted if they determine there isn't a viable solution but if there is a viable solution, it's simply part of the cost of (presumably?) extending your driveway or whatever it is you are trying to achieve. Be warned that it might be very expensive, especially if the solution has to be robust enough to be driven across.

Hopefully there might be something we can do. SGN who are responsible for the "GAS" concrete post located next to the GPO one came out within 2 hours of calling, stated I could remove the their post and wished me a good day with no charge. I simply cannot believe the difference between to the two providers!

leviathan

If you have given them any details then you're out of luck but I would just move it. I'm sure many more people would too, but they wont admit it as someone will pop along asnd say "its' illegal" or immoral or ...


But consider that it is a GPO post, it was put there before openreach exisited and they, a huge company making millions want to charge you to even look at it.


I'm not going to judge your morality, it's your choice.

Belenus

I presume that your concrete marker stands alone and is not next to a pole as in your lookalike picture.

Are the numbers still visible on it?

It is presumably very old and quite possibly marks the spot where cables used to run. Do you know if there are still telephone lines in the ground beneath or around it?

If you own an angle grinder or other suitable tool you could follow the suggestion in the post above.

Kara_P

Belenus: It stands alone and there is no post or anything else visible above ground related to it (gas engineer confirmed this). There are no numbers visible on GPO post and it is quite badly worn. I am not sure if there are any cables that run under it however there is a separate plate flush with the ground a few feet away that provides our Virgin cable services.

leviathan: thanks for not judging my morality

Davesnave

Will this new route into a parking place for your car come from a public road, and will you need a dropped kerb?

CathA

We have 2 similar posts right at the edge of our driveway/dropped curb. Luckily we didn't have to move them when we had the dropped curb put in, but they stand side by side on the front edge of the drive, so we have to angle in around them if we want to park on that side. As they are not very tall, you have to remember they are there, especially at night.
Someone didn't, took the one furthest from the boundary line clean out! (damaged their car a bit, glad it wasn't me!) We've just left it lying flat, I wish someone would take to other one out.

Have you got a friend with a big beaten up van? Lol.

southcoastrgi

I think if it had been me I would have accidentally lost control of my angle grinder while doing some work next to it

greyteam1959

I would get rid of it..........
But that's only my opinion of course.

Owain_Moneysaver

greyteam1959 wrote: »

I would get rid of it..........
But that's only my opinion of course.

I would sell it on ebay to a phone collector.

Someone must be willing to pay good money for old concrete ...