BT Wayleaves

[Overby]

A neighbour needs a cable replacing, BT need to dig a trench next to the hegde in one of our fields to get it there.

A BT wayleave is about £10 per annum or some such drivel.

The neighbour is a decent bloke, but should we have any concerns? It is a site we want to promote for development at some point, and there's never been a cable there before, it previously ran along a fence.

I'd have thought if anyone want s to dig up land we own there should be loot changing hgands.

Any ideas?

 

[Nearly]

Tell them no.
Openreach regard themselves as an essential service and above any responsibilities or previous agreements.
Their digger drivers will take the route that suits them, ie away from the agreed route and don't know the difference between topsoil, clay or subsoil. Are they ex EA diggers?
Reinstatement involves sprinkling amenity grass seed in the general direction of the trench.

 

[Overby]

Haha, definitely my original thoughts

 

[Bald Rick]

The other side to the coin is that the neighbour is a "decent bloke" with whom you have to rub along for X years to come.
Annoy him and it may affect any planning developments you may have in mind

 

[jellybean]

I just had National grid in yesterday to look at a new supply. I was told that you can do the digging yourself to save money. If you did that you would know exactly where the cable is going and the re-instatement would be to your standard, you also score brownie points with the neighbour; never a bad thing.

 

[Nearly]

Openreach are notorious for not paying the agent working for you. So agents aren't willing to go the extra mile on your behalf.
We've 50m of fibre optic at 12" deep through a field thanks to their lazy staff.
I'm waiting until we sell the land and the next owner ploughs it up.

 

[Cowabunga]

You tell them exactly where you are willing for the cable to go and how deep. Supervise the contractor, which will be subbing for Openreach who are subbing for someone else. Basically sort it out with Openreach’s wayleaves team first and foremost. They and the contractors are usually quite amenable.

 

[tepapa]

Openreach are notorious for not paying the agent working for you. So agents aren't willing to go the extra mile on your behalf.
We've 50m of fibre optic at 12" deep through a field thanks to their lazy staff.
I'm waiting until we sell the land and the next owner ploughs it up.

If you break the cable in enough places it will be unrepairable.

 

[melted welly]

Openreach contractor severed the outfall from 30ac of field drains here, took over a year to get them to pay for repair. Cowboys.

 

[Nearly]

If you break the cable in enough places it will be unrepairable.

It's just the arguments after that I want to avoid. They're just a set of ignorant bullys.

 

[bigw]

We got £10/m for phone cables years ago, one off payment no annual wayleave

 

[Eggs and Things]

Openreach as an organisation are a complete waste of space. Most of their engineers are sound. We have cables here that are thrown in the grass or draped on the fences.
The only good thing is because they don't pay us a wayleave, we are not responsible when they get damaged. This happens often enough that the cable now cannot reliably even carry voice calls.
So we ditched BT. But according to the powers that be, we can get fast fibre. Up a 50 year old cable that is more insulating tape than original!

Rant over.

 

[Flatland guy]

DO NOT DO IT!! How is your neighbour getting his phone line currently? Openreach could replace on the existing/wayleave use if wanted. Be polite with your neighbour, just explain openreach can replace the existing without affecting anyone else. If the tables were reversed, do you think your neighbour would have an underground cable on his/her property for such a derisory rate, I highly doubt it.
I thought all the modern utilities were using easements, a one-off payment as a percentage of the value of agricultural land, I understand water pay about 60% of the agricultural value of the area they affect( depending on circumstances and the area they affect some offer much higher especially if they have to go down the compulsory purchase route for small areas) do not forget that the area is wider than the cable to allow for future maintenance etc often 10metre wide route where you cannot plant trees, buildings, consent may be needed if you have operations take place 50cm below topsoil etc. Lift and shift clauses (move cable if you want to develop) can be added but depends on the circumstances.
Due to your intention to develop that field in future I would not be wanting any wayleaves/easements in there full stop.

 

[Hampton]

The other side to the coin is that the neighbour is a "decent bloke" with whom you have to rub along for X years to come.
Annoy him and it may affect any planning developments you may have in mind

It will anyway. Often neighbours can be as nice as pie until planning gets involved

 

[Wombat]

It will anyway. Often neighbours can be as nice as pie until planning gets involved

Exactly I wouldn’t base on any decisions on what might be. The owner might sell up and the next one be a total arsehole but you have it for life. I always politely decline these kind of things

 

[Farfrae]

Openreach recently connected us to full fibre. They wanted to mole the fibre (a few hundred metres) through my newly acquired field to my neigbour.

Asked them about wayleave. Guy came back with a figure of around £2,500 as a one off payment. I could have angled for an annual payment but I said OK and the cheque arrived three days later. A neighbour got too greedy and wanted more money so they just put it down the road instead.

Contractor made an excellent job of the mole ploughing no mess whatsover as you can see from the photo.

 

[steveR]

Openreach as an organisation are a complete waste of space. Most of their engineers are sound. We have cables here that are thrown in the grass or draped on the fences.
The only good thing is because they don't pay us a wayleave, we are not responsible when they get damaged. This happens often enough that the cable now cannot reliably even carry voice calls.
So we ditched BT. But according to the powers that be, we can get fast fibre. Up a 50 year old cable that is more insulating tape than original!

Rant over.

I feel and understand your pain @Eggs and Things ....

 

[steveR]

Openreach recently connected us to full fibre. They wanted to mole the fibre (a few hundred metres) through my newly acquired field to my neigbour.

Asked them about wayleave. Guy came back with a figure of around £2,500 as a one of payment. I could have angled for an annual payment but I said OK and the cheque arrived thre days later. A neighbour got too greedy and wanted more money so they just put it down the road instead.

Contractor made an excellent job of the mole ploughing no mess whatsover as you can see from the photo.

View attachment 1078948

Neat. What depth??

How close could they get to the fence you can see?

 

[Steevo]

There is nothing wrong with saying "No".

Often it can be the best option and saves an enormous amount of hassle.

 

[Yale]

When BT put a cable through one field i trenched it about 30m along the hedge adjacent to the road at 1m deep just in case of future development. The took the rest across the field with a mole plough.