National Grid, compound yard request, key points please

[crashbox]

Also consider:
- no burning
- waste to be stored in skips
- no hazardous materials storage
- no excavations without prior approval
- method for agreeing reinstatement costs of you disagree at the end of the job?
- consider SFI/subsidy loss as well as crop loss (may be peanuts, depending upon area)
- charge for your time doing an RLE1 if creating a new field parcel
- charge for your time for meetings and periodic inspections
- consider if you want a hard boundary fence (e.g. HERAD fence) so they don't "stray"
- TAKE PHOTOS BEFORE AND AFTER

As others have said, agent on your side can help, will probably increase your compensation. You appoint, they agree to pay costs.

 

[Part timer farmer]

You need some to use an agent, it’s best to have some distance and take some of the stress out of this. I am an agent working for. Phone operators in the past and we prefer Farmers instruct an agent.

 

[crashbox]

You need some to use an agent, it’s best to have some distance and take some of the stress out of this. I am an agent working for. Phone operators in the past and we prefer Farmers instruct an agent.

Have an oil firm with pipelines here and they seriously dislike me using an agent.

So it swings both ways.

Guess you need to weigh up in each job whether it's worth it. Which is often dependent on value and complexity.

 

[Bald Rick]

We have a unique location next to some NG infrastructure.

They need to do some urgent work and are interested in converting some of our adjacent field to a compound.

Similar happened 10 yrs back, it wasnt left as agreed and we had to mess about subsoiling.

They want a site meeting, I’ve gone back asking questions first. I think I have they key points to nail early on but have I missed any?

- top soil stripped and kept separate.
- we get to keep the aggregate they use, hopefully virgin.
- they reinstate field like for like
- need fixed time frames, will try and increase rates after a set period and hope they find a newt or two so have delays
- maybe a deposit to cover remedial works upfront
- crop loss compensation etc

What’s the going rate £/m2, any recent comparables please?
What’s a fair rate £/hr if we don’t use an agent? I bet they will charge £2.5k for such jobs.

Planning on being fairly bullish, they don’t have a good plan b and have caused me plenty of grief before!

Have I missed anything?

Steel pressure mats over all access areas including pedestrian to alleviate against damage at depth
Will have to resow but protects soil structure

 

[teslacoils]

The start point is just dont speak direct to them. Agent, they pay fees, if they don't like it the can f off.

Had gas pipe folk in for a little chat last week - three high Viz turned up and brought two agents with them. That was little chat over as far as I'm concerned.

Legal agreement. Money before they turn up.

 

[robs1]

I have heard of this happening on the NG T-pylon project through Somerset.
The aggregate is 'leased' from the quarry, not 'bought' - then moves onto the next site. Apparently being hauled into Gravity site north of Bridgwater where Tata may end up building a large vehicle battery factory.
Probably helps with recycling/green credentials and avoids tax on quarrying.

Railtrack won't reuse stone from one project in another as they say there is a risk of contamination so have left it here the three or four times we have had them here, the current project they have used steel mats and wash them off before taking them away

 

[dannewhouse]

We have similar ongoing at the moment.
Ours is at a rate £7.50 per week per 100m2

If you think you'll be in happy with the finished job tell them you want X figure at the end and you'll do the reinstatement. We did this on a previous job and may well do it on this job. (You get paid for sending the hardcore to landfill, but obviously it's extended the farm yard here)

Also keep an eye every week what's happening.

Ours is paid quarterly in advance no entry without payment

 

[Princess Pooper]

We have a unique location next to some NG infrastructure.

They need to do some urgent work and are interested in converting some of our adjacent field to a compound.

Similar happened 10 yrs back, it wasnt left as agreed and we had to mess about subsoiling.

They want a site meeting, I’ve gone back asking questions first. I think I have they key points to nail early on but have I missed any?

- top soil stripped and kept separate.
- we get to keep the aggregate they use, hopefully virgin.
- they reinstate field like for like
- need fixed time frames, will try and increase rates after a set period and hope they find a newt or two so have delays
- maybe a deposit to cover remedial works upfront
- crop loss compensation etc

What’s the going rate £/m2, any recent comparables please?
What’s a fair rate £/hr if we don’t use an agent? I bet they will charge £2.5k for such jobs.

Planning on being fairly bullish, they don’t have a good plan b and have caused me plenty of grief before!

Have I missed anything?

You said an agent will charge about £2.5k. You won't be paying it, they will. Get an agent, you admitted it went pear shaped last time. You might think they will pay you that extra £2.5k they are 'saving' but they prefer to liaise with a professional who knows what he is doing, it is usually less hassle for them.

'Need to increase rates after a set period' shows your naivety - our agent built a massive over-run fee into our agreement for an Environment Agency compound. It was the most lucrative element and generated us a lot of money.

 

[devonbeef]

We have a unique location next to some NG infrastructure.

They need to do some urgent work and are interested in converting some of our adjacent field to a compound.

Similar happened 10 yrs back, it wasnt left as agreed and we had to mess about subsoiling.

They want a site meeting, I’ve gone back asking questions first. I think I have they key points to nail early on but have I missed any?

- top soil stripped and kept separate.
- we get to keep the aggregate they use, hopefully virgin.
- they reinstate field like for like
- need fixed time frames, will try and increase rates after a set period and hope they find a newt or two so have delays
- maybe a deposit to cover remedial works upfront
- crop loss compensation etc

What’s the going rate £/m2, any recent comparables please?
What’s a fair rate £/hr if we don’t use an agent? I bet they will charge £2.5k for such jobs.

Planning on being fairly bullish, they don’t have a good plan b and have caused me plenty of grief before!

Have I missed anything?

are you not better working out cost to reinstate and claim for the money because sure as hell they will not do it properly

 

[Doing it for the kids]

You said an agent will charge about £2.5k. You won't be paying it, they will. Get an agent, you admitted it went pear shaped last time. You might think they will pay you that extra £2.5k they are 'saving' but they prefer to liaise with a professional who knows what he is doing, it is usually less hassle for them.

'Need to increase rates after a set period' shows your naivety - our agent built a massive over-run fee into our agreement for an Environment Agency compound. It was the most lucrative element and generated us a lot of money.

Thanks but you don’t really know what my day job is. They will have to pay for someone’s time, this is much easier than many of the current projects so if I can get that allocated fee with out too much hassle, I will.

I had no involvement in the previous scheme, the point was I need to factor in all aspects if I don’t have the cushion of an agent.

Over run fee vs increase rates after a set period is the same thing. Just done another deal with the highways and if they aren’t done in a certain time the rate jumps hugely. This is a common clause and as you say, is the icing on the cake.

 

[robs1]

You said an agent will charge about £2.5k. You won't be paying it, they will. Get an agent, you admitted it went pear shaped last time. You might think they will pay you that extra £2.5k they are 'saving' but they prefer to liaise with a professional who knows what he is doing, it is usually less hassle for them.

'Need to increase rates after a set period' shows your naivety - our agent built a massive over-run fee into our agreement for an Environment Agency compound. It was the most lucrative element and generated us a lot of money.

Our rail job was the same they over ran by a month at double the previous rate and then upped and left but are coming back once the river level has dropped enough to finish underpinning the bridge.
I love having all these contractors in its money for old rope, you just have to learn that the first offer is around half what they will happily pay and I find being amenable and working with the guys on the ground helps a lot, this time we are getting all the stone they don't want plus some large diameter pipes that are surplus to requirements, the only ones that are hard to deal with are Wessex water.

 

[steveR]

Well, NG will pay your Agents fees......

No time limit on reparations for problems that arise down the line...National Grid put in a big gas pipe here 24 years ago, Im still getting concrete blocks rise to the surface, in fact found one today.

Last claim for loss of production was 5 years ago, another one will be going in this year.

Various parts of the route they dug big holes to join the pipe as it wnt under lanes and at bends in the route. Nothing grows there to date.

Got land here with massive sewerage pipeline underground. 50 yrs later, it is still not right....

 

[steveR]

Our rail job was the same they over ran by a month at double the previous rate and then upped and left but are coming back once the river level has dropped enough to finish underpinning the bridge.
I love having all these contractors in its money for old rope, you just have to learn that the first offer is around half what they will happily pay and I find being amenable and working with the guys on the ground helps a lot, this time we are getting all the stone they don't want plus some large diameter pipes that are surplus to requirements, the only ones that are hard to deal with are Wessex water.

Are they using Dalcours as their Agents too?

 

[robs1]

Are they using Dalcours as their Agents too?

No we are dealing direct with their contractors, sisk rail they are acting on behalf of rail track

 

[Gadget]

I think that I would prefer for no soil to be moved, just put a membrane down with stone on top.
We had a field that was stripped to the subsoil and it's never been right since, another that was done how I suggested above is pretty much back to normal. You also know that none of the topsoil is going missing.

 

[dannewhouse]

We had rail track here last summer had about 750 sq MTRS they paid £500 a week,

How long for, just the summer?

 

[robs1]

How long for, just the summer?

Yes came in early June left end of Oct as it's underpinning a bridge over a river, they didn't finish so coming back sometime this spring