A Wayleave question (new underground HV cable through my garden)

Woolsery

If it's any help, we negotiated the positioning of a telegraph pole and underground cable after we discovered the looney neighbour had somehow re-located it onto our property before we took ownership. We were told if push came to shove they'd just stick it where they wanted, but we are far too sensible to take on a national utility, so we cooperated and got it where we wanted it.

The payout? A princely £150 + a few £ for the cable, none of it within 200m of our house or anywhere important, but we didn't want our other neighbour inconvenienced with a spoiled view. It couldn't stay where it was because the idiot had planted it in a stream....as far as the digger could reach I suspect !

Section62

ProDave said:

I own our own house in the countryside.  A few miles away planning is in for a new wind farm.  That needs to connect to the substation a mile or so the other side of me.  Most of the route from the wind farm will cross farmland and a couple of roads, but it appears our little settlement in the countryside, just a single row of houses, stands in the way.  So their cable must pass under one of the gardens, and it appears they have chosen my garden. (I have spoken to all the neighbours and no others have been approached)

Are they going through a planning consent process for the route?  If so, has consent already been given?

It seems a bit odd that in a rural area with few houses that they have designed a route which passes through your garden, rather than keeping it in farmland all the way.

Personally I would - if it is still an option - try and get the cable routed elsewhere.  Any compensation for the work and having the cable on your land isn't likely to make you rich.  But it will bring hassle.

Section62

Bendy_House said:

'High Voltage' usually equates to a smaller diameter cable, the higher the smaller. So I wonder if they'd sleeve this in a duct so that in the extremely unlikely event of it needing replacement, it could be pulled through with no affect on your property - ie no build-over restriction required either?

'High voltage' in grid terms usually means high power capacity, so the conductors are still large in comparison to typical lower-voltage stuff.  Then add in multiple layers of insulation and armouring (if undergound) and the cable quickly becomes a big fat one.

I'd say it was near certain that the cable will be laid in a duct, probably along the whole route.  If there is any prospect of the wind farm being expanded in the future they may also lay multiple ducts now, so they can pull in additional cables if additional capacity is needed in future.

But even if it is laid in a duct, the cable owners aren't going to leave people free to build whatever they want over the top. There will be restrictions of some kind.

user1977

Section62 said:

Bendy_House said:

'High Voltage' usually equates to a smaller diameter cable, the higher the smaller. So I wonder if they'd sleeve this in a duct so that in the extremely unlikely event of it needing replacement, it could be pulled through with no affect on your property - ie no build-over restriction required either?

But even if it is laid in a duct, the cable owners aren't going to leave people free to build whatever they want over the top. There will be restrictions of some kind.

Indeed, I'm sitting very close to the supply cable for a major city centre, which I understand sits inside a fairly chunky tunnel - but its route still avoids buildings.

ProDave

Section62 said:

ProDave said:

I own our own house in the countryside.  A few miles away planning is in for a new wind farm.  That needs to connect to the substation a mile or so the other side of me.  Most of the route from the wind farm will cross farmland and a couple of roads, but it appears our little settlement in the countryside, just a single row of houses, stands in the way.  So their cable must pass under one of the gardens, and it appears they have chosen my garden. (I have spoken to all the neighbours and no others have been approached)

Are they going through a planning consent process for the route?  If so, has consent already been given?

It seems a bit odd that in a rural area with few houses that they have designed a route which passes through your garden, rather than keeping it in farmland all the way.

Personally I would - if it is still an option - try and get the cable routed elsewhere.  Any compensation for the work and having the cable on your land isn't likely to make you rich.  But it will bring hassle.

Yes it is a strange one.  But when you look at a map, there is this one little ribbon of houses in the way.  To go to the east of us the land drops off steeply down a ravine.  To go to the west of us the cable would have to cross a B road to get past us then cross back again.

However I am not convinced our house is the best option to cross, it just happens to be on the straight line and in the middle of the row, and we have a bit of land alongside the house they think it can pass through. Not all the houses in the row have that bit of side land or at least not without something already blocking it, but realistically I think 3 of the houses could provide a route.

I am going to use the survey opportunity to make them aware of all the things that are already under that bit of garden and things I already have planned like at least one more decent sized shed and if that convinces them their cable won't fit and they look elsewhere then that would be a good outcome.  I feel at least at this stage obliged to participate in the process rather than just say no I don't want it.

One thing I have thought of is we have a sewage treatment plant already under that bit of garden.  I am sure there is room for the cable to pass by as well, but one thing that has dawned on me, is should our treatment plant ever fail, we could just install a new one alongside and then fill in the old one without actually removing it.  Allowing the cable through would block that option, so if in the future the treatment plant did need replacing there would be no option but to dig the old one out to put the new one in the same place.  That would make the job more expensive.  I don't know if that sort of argument would make any difference either to dissuade them from using our land, or increase the level of compensation offered.

Certainly what I am hearing is the level of compensation is likely to be tiny. If that is the case then why on earth would I agree to all the upheaval and restrictions for almost nothing in return and I would be minded to say no and see if they have the apetite to firce it through under statutory powers or look elsewhere.

Section62

ProDave said:

One thing I have thought of is we have a sewage treatment plant already under that bit of garden.  I am sure there is room for the cable to pass by as well, but one thing that has dawned on me, is should our treatment plant ever fail, we could just install a new one alongside and then fill in the old one without actually removing it.  Allowing the cable through would block that option, so if in the future the treatment plant did need replacing there would be no option but to dig the old one out to put the new one in the same place.  That would make the job more expensive.  I don't know if that sort of argument would make any difference either to dissuade them from using our land, or increase the level of compensation offered.

Certainly what I am hearing is the level of compensation is likely to be tiny. If that is the case then why on earth would I agree to all the upheaval and restrictions for almost nothing in return and I would be minded to say no and see if they have the apetite to firce it through under statutory powers or look elsewhere.

Excavation in proximity to HV cables is always more expensive that excavation in virgin land - so whether you replace the STP in the same position or alongside you would have increased costs if the cables do go in.

Do you know the situation with planning consent for the cable route - is it included in the wind farm development, or will they be submitting a separate application?

ProDave

Thanks so I can raise the issue that ANY work on the existing drainage system would become more expensive.

I don't believe the planning permission has been done yet, it always seems to be the case is the wind farm gets permission first and then the cable route separately.

PaulbytheRidgeway

I have a similar issue, but with existing 11kV cable (sheathed). After big wet weather and partial wall collapse the cable is now exposed on the path at back of house on steps to garden and it doesn't match the easement plan. In two months I've had a 'live' tag put on it  and some photos. SSE have said they will cover it up but this may affect our access. I've said no thanks as we need our only access to garden and please put cable to proper depth and on the agreement line(making good all the garden and structures they'll have to shift). Question ..what sort of legal firm do I need to commission please? Don't want ambulance chaser but do want 11kV line made safe! Thanks.