Walpole Grimsby pylon , survey access.

[Boomerang]

Just had paperwork through national grid want access tor surveys , just bods on foot at this time.
They want us to grant a license for them to survey will pay £500 plus £250 if license papers returned promptly. They also say they will access anyway under statutory papers if we refuse.
Is the £500 a reasonable offer ,but a take it or we will come anyway , negotiable or not.
Was hoping to avoid this altogether but seems luck isn't on my side.

 

[Dave6170]

Get an agent on to them

 

[Hill Ground]

We're having a cable next year, they're paying the agents fees, so 100% get one on the case!!

 

[Boomerang]

So who's the best agent to engage. I'm in south lincs.

 

[getting on]

So who's the best agent to engage. I'm in south lincs.

Just a comment, i had a gas pipe put under my land a few years ago. I had an agent paid for by the contractor, fine. Spoke to my neighbour after the work was completed, he had no agent, did everything his self. He finished with more compensation than me.

 

[Forkdriver]

So who's the best agent to engage. I'm in south lincs.

Longstaffs in Spalding, Richardson's in Stamford, Liz Allen, trading as EA Land agents. I could personally recommend all three as a retired Chartered Surveyor.

 

[Boomerang]

Longstaffs, I don't think so .
Walters rural, and browns came up on search ,but prefer someone who's recommended and found to be good.
I know above recommended. had dealings before wasn't impressed.

 

[Boomerang]

Just a comment, i had a gas pipe put under my land a few years ago. I had an agent paid for by the contractor, fine. Spoke to my neighbour after the work was completed, he had no agent, did everything his self. He finished with more compensation than me.

We had a new road come very close to house 20 years ago, had a land agent. Don't think we got best deal we could have .initial compensation offer negotiated by land agent was £2500. He was told to go away and try harder much harder. He eventually came back with an offer for considerably more.
Was he working for me or highways ???
He shouldn't have had to be told offer was crap.
There are agents, and then there are agents who do you trust.(I think the answer is no one )
And also I'm only a little outfit, are they going to work as hard for me as they would for Mr 5000 acres , I very much doubt it.

 

[Oliveau]

It's a long time since I worked there, but try Fisher German. I would contact the head office in Ashby de la Zouch and ask for the Utilities & Infrastructure dept. 1530 4120821
The overall gaffer of that dept. is Clare Phillipson - she doesn't take prisoners!
There are agents and agents - Some will do their best for clients, but others are only interested in the fee. [I could tell some stories, but I won't].
Is the package on offer direct from NG or from their agents? If the latter who is acting for them?
I wouldn't worry so much about their threat of 'Statutory Powers' as you will be entitled to compensation whatever the scenario. I don't like the fact that already a threat has been issued up front. What with that and an early return of licence payment it sounds as though they are desperate to start.
I don't much like the sound of a fixed fee for a survey licence as a licence once granted could allow all and sundry to tramp over your land whenever they wish! This needs tying down much more tightly to agree dates, times and points of access and to state what 'survey' work they want to do, which could be anything from a simple 'bats and badgers' study to a fill blown 'let's go and dig several bloody great trial pits'

Perhaps I ought to come out of retirement!

 

[Hill Ground]

Just a comment, i had a gas pipe put under my land a few years ago. I had an agent paid for by the contractor, fine. Spoke to my neighbour after the work was completed, he had no agent, did everything his self. He finished with more compensation than me.

Yeah, in the paperwork it says they will pay for an agent, or compensate the farmer for his time. Be interesting to see how challenging the work would be to get the extra compo?

My agent has helped me out twice recently and never sent me a bill, so he can have a touch out of this and save me some grief!!

 

[hoff135]

Just had paperwork through national grid want access tor surveys , just bods on foot at this time.
They want us to grant a license for them to survey will pay £500 plus £250 if license papers returned promptly. They also say they will access anyway under statutory papers if we refuse.
Is the £500 a reasonable offer ,but a take it or we will come anyway , negotiable or not.
Was hoping to avoid this altogether but seems luck isn't on my side.

I believe they can use the electricity act 19something to gain access for survey work whether you like it or not. I had them in doing bird surveys but never got offered anything by ssen.

If you chose to agree and take the 500 I'd see that you accompany it with an email stating that you agree to the survey work but that it in no way means you agree with any proposed infrastructure on your land.

Happening all over, looks like some people will lose whole farms for substations, some of the proposed ones in Scotland are hundreds of acres of good agricultural land

 

[Boomerang]

dalcour maclaren.
They tell you what they plan to do under the licence non intrusive ,but add the all encompassing phrase "but not limited to " I read that as they would use this phrase to say I've agreed to whatever else they decide they want to do even tho they havnt listed it.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Just a comment, i had a gas pipe put under my land a few years ago. I had an agent paid for by the contractor, fine. Spoke to my neighbour after the work was completed, he had no agent, did everything his self. He finished with more compensation than me.

I expect the agent had the balance.

 

[Oliveau]

dalcour maclaren.
They tell you what they plan to do under the licence non intrusive ,but add the all encompassing phrase "but not limited to " I read that as they would use this phrase to say I've agreed to whatever else they decide they want to do even tho they havnt listed it.

I think you are absolutely right to be sceptical and suspicious. Dalcour Maclaren established in 2003. John German who merged with Fisher Hoggarth at about the same time to become Fisher German date from 1840, so I think I know who has the better track record!
Clearly I haven’t has sight of any of the documentation, but I would advise that you don’t sign anything until you have had sound professional advice. NG should pay the fees.

 

[Boomerang]

Think the phrase used was will.pay agents reasonable fees upto £250.

 

[Hill Ground]

Think the phrase used was will.pay agents reasonable fees upto £250.

That wouldn't go far with a good agent?!

 

[Oliveau]

That wouldn't go far with a good agent?!

I don’t believe that they can impose a cap on reasonable fees!

 

[Boomerang]

I don’t believe that they can impose a cap on reasonable fees!

I think.the whole scheme has pee take written all over it. It will cost ££££££ more than it need to. Everyone involved will get on the gravy train at platform loadsa money.

 

[Boomerang]

There's an air valve pissing water out ,has been for almost a year local water authority have said a hard-core road needs laying in a field to access it . It's no more than 10m from an easy access point in a layby, then scaffold Tower over ditch .
It's going to cost ££££ and probably take a week .
Could be done in a day or max 2 ..
Utilities and government projects have no concept of efficient use of funds or time.
Money grows on trees for them

 

[Ramrod]

South Lincolnshire, you’ll not better Will Barker
01529414555