Overhead line upgrade

Downthedrain

Our property is effectively an island the middle of open fields and has an 11kv overhead line running almost directly over our house. There's a modest wooden pole + stay in our garden with a transformer for our supply. We've been informed that the service will be upgraded to a main feed, which is worrying because where this has been done elsewhere in the area it's resulted in large and ugly equipment and much larger double poles being installed. Ours is the only property in the area that would be affected, as the lines run over open farmland.

At the moment the upgrade is at the planning stage with National Grid and they say that we'll be consulted "where appropriate". Given that we only found out about the upgrade by accident with no prior official communication, we're concerned that the only consultation that we'll experience will be when they turn up to install equipment.

At present there's an annual wayleave in place for a pole and stay. The location of the pole is on a bend in the run (hence the stay) and it seems that it would not be unreasonable to ask for the overhead line to be run underground on the adjacent farmland close to our boundary. It's not possible to run a cable through our property due to the layout and buildings, otherwise that may have been an option.

Has anyone else here been faced with this situation? We've been inundated with solicitors letters promising compensation, but we aren't seeking compensation, just after some reasonable consideration for our lovely 600 year-old house.

Robin9

There has been a long running programme of upgrading these overhead lines - often built in the 1950's as part of the rural electrification programme.  The work often involves replacing the wires, poles and the steel stays - the most significant can be the stays when 2 stays are needed. The transformer , if on a single pole, generally stays on a single pole..  

Going underground will cost an arm and a leg.

Mister_G

We have a 11kV line running over our garden.  I managed to squeeze £15k out of SSE in compensation by doing it myself.  No way were they willing to put the line underground, even though I did ask them at the time.  And I still get my £8 a year for the pole!

Downthedrain

Is there now a pole either side of your garden? Did you just dig a trench or was there more to this?

MattMattMattUK

Downthedrain said:

Is there now a pole either side of your garden? Did you just dig a trench or was there more to this?

You could dig a trench on your own land, but not on the farm land. 

Mister_G

Downthedrain said:

Is there now a pole either side of your garden? Did you just dig a trench or was there more to this?

Sorry, should have worded it better.  No, I still have the overhead line, but at least got the £15k for it being there.

Downthedrain

Can you share any tips for doing this if we end up going down that route if there's no flexibility or alternative to having the apparatus in our garden?

Robin9

@Downthedrain  Remember , at the end of the day, you want a supply to your property.

Mister_G

Downthedrain said:

Can you share any tips for doing this if we end up going down that route if there's no flexibility or alternative to having the apparatus in our garden?

You can either go to one of the companies that specialise in getting the compensation from the power line owner (and give away a chunk of the money), or do it yourself.  My DNO was SSE and they have a Wayleave department that deals with this.

I found the process very simple.  The compensation is based on how much the overhead line devalues your property.  It appears that the max they will pay is 2% of the property value.

I used a local chartered surveyor to carry out the valuation, submitted my claim on their forms and waited.  They came back with a lower offer that I refused.  We then ended up at the 2% figure.  I had to employ a solicitor for the legal documentation, but the DNO paid their costs as well.

I would rather have got rid of the line, as it passes over our conservatory and makes any building extension work very difficult, but the DNO were not even willing to give a price for an undeground diversion.

Hope that helps

Downthedrain

Robin9 said:

@Downthedrain  Remember , at the end of the day, you want a supply to your property.

The majority of people also have a supply but don't have equipment in their garden or overhead lines. There has to be some consideration regarding the placement of equipment. Also the detriment to the householder and reduction in property value. It would be straightforward to route the cabling underground, or to relocate the equipment to minimise the impact, but there's no consultation whatsoever or any choice given. I spoke to one of the team leaders who was working nearby who told me that they can go underground across the nearby field but wouldn't want to do it because it costs them time and money.

A single pole and stay was tolerable, but the twin poles and stays that are being installed would not be. There's also the earthing that has to be installed - currently there are 47 buried rods with connecting cables underground just beneath the surface (2 spade depths).