This topic

Overhead Lines

XYZ2 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:12:03 GMT

Looking for some advice, there is an overhead telephone line that runs over my property boundary from a kerb side pole to another pole in an adjacent field and onwards to other properties. It runs up the side of my house through the branches of a large mature tree which sits in my garden. The telephone line to our house is run as a single separate line from the same kerbside pole to the side of our house, through the branches of the same tree. We are Sky broadband/phone customers and not BT.

The tree is quite old and will at sometime probably damage both lines by either a branch coming off, abrasion of the lines or by falling down completely, my questions are around liability and avoiding potential issues.

Do I just wait until either of the lines are damaged, then let BT fix them? Would I be liable for any of the costs?

Should I pre-emptively warn BT of the possible hazard?

Would BT remove/prune the tree pre-emptively ?(I don’t mind, it’s old, ugly, a bit close to the house and I could do with the firewood!)

If they did remove it, would I have to contribute to the cost?

Do I need to involve to SKY?

Thanks in advance

Re: Overhead Lines

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:19:58 GMT

@XYZ2

This has nothing to do with BT Retail. Its Openreach that provide and maintain the external network and you cannot contact them yourself unless there is a health and safety issue.

You will need to wait until there is a fault, and then let Sky deal with Openreach.

If you own the tree, and it damages the line, then you could be liable for the cost, and asked to remove any obstructions.

Re: Overhead Lines

XYZ2 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:53:43 GMT

I don’t like the sound of “could be liable”! how do I find out if I am liable or not? And if so for both lines even though one has nothing to do with me? I’m not aware of any wayleave agreement for the large line running over my property so I doubt I could be held liable if there is nothing to say I have to maintain the wayleave.

This is why I thought it might be good to contact BT openreach in advance of a problem and let their maintenance team deal with it. It can’t be an uncommon problem. Mind you, would it cost more to remove the tree before there was an issue or wait until it falls overs and pay to repair the line and get the tree felling for free?

For the single line to my house, you are probably right just to wait and contact SKY if there is an issue.

Thanks in advance

Re: Overhead Lines

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:31:02 GMT

@XYZ2

Sorry, BT Openreach does not exists, its a common error that the press and public make. Openreach is now a totally separate company and serves all providers.

If the tree is on your land, and it damages the Openreach network, then you would be expected to make sure there is no obstruction.

You need to raise the issue via Sky when you have a fault, and then take it from there.

Here is a guide which applies to BT Retail customers, and probably other providers.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/getting-set-up/costs-and-charges/engineer-home-improvement-service-charges

Re: Overhead Lines

Starwire — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:52:39 GMT

BT, Openreach and or any other Utility Provider be it Telecoms or Power don’t need a Wayleave to span Cables over your property as the Low Flying Wires Act allows to to put wires over the boundary of your property as long as;

1. We don’t need to enter your property to do it.

2. The wires are 3m or more above ground level.

3. They don’t interfere with normal business at the property.

Ref to charges for any Damage to said cabling. If one the cables for a neighbouring property became damaged as a result of the tree neither your neighbour or yourself would be liable for a charge.

Regarding Tree Cutting, Openreach will not cut trees on Private Land. They seldom arrange to have them cut on Public Land anymore either as they now have a new method, which I’m not yet familiar with where they can now more easily run new Cable Spans through trees.

Re: Overhead Lines

XYZ2 — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:26:51 GMT

Thanks Starwire, that’s excellent information, sounds like I don’t have to worry about any costs to the large line that passes over my property and there is no point in pre-emptively contacting Openreach. If I wanted the tree cut down as it might be a threat to the house, I would have to pay some tree surgeons to do it carefully and probably check they are properly insured before they start in case they damage the line. That’s a bit of a pity as I was hoping I might get Openreach to fell the tree for free! Never mind just wishful thinking.

I only have to worry about the line that comes into my house and if that is ever damaged, then I would contact Sky who contact Openreach (sounds fun!) and they fix it at my expense. So a bit of careful pruning might be advisable.

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 20:29:18 GMT

@Keith_Beddoewrote: "BT Openreach does not exists, its a common error that the press and public make."

And also scam telephone callers in my experience!

I always make a point of pointing out their error to them, before proceeding to waste as much of their time as possible. 😀

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 20:41:27 GMT

@Starwire

On the subject of wayleaves, about 18 months ago Openreach moved our line to a different cabinet which involved digging a trench in our front garden to bury a duct for the new cable.

My wife was asked to sign a form before this work was done. Would this have just been a consent to dig up the garden at the time, or a wayleave? If the latter, should we have been given a copy of it for our records and to pass on if we ever sold this house?

Re: Overhead Lines

Devon_Dave — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 21:46:27 GMT

It would be a permission to dig m

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:37:31 GMT

@Devon_Dave

Thanks.

I don't see a "Mark as accepted solution" button -where should it be? (I am logged in to the forums).

Re: Overhead Lines

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:42:10 GMT

@Anonymous

Re: Overhead Lines

Starwire — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:52:40 GMT

It would’ve just been a PTD, Permission to Dig Form.

You don’t need a Wayleaves if it’s just to provide service for you alone.

If say they wanted to run a 100 pair cable or COF under your land to supply a housing development further up the road then yes, that would have to go through a Wayleaves Process.

Re: Overhead Lines

Graham18 — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 07:35:04 GMT

This explains how to report problems of this sort to Openreach.

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/damage-health-and-safety

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 09:39:46 GMT

@Starwirewrote "You don’t need a Wayleaves if it’s just to provide service for you alone."

Well that is interesting.

The original method of feeding our houses was by a small underground duct/tube that loops along the front of each house in the row, appearing in a box in each house's front wall where 1 pair would be diverted through the inner wall into the house before the rest of the cable went down into another duct/tube to the next house, and so on. This also carried the now closed BT Cable TV service.

When we were moved to the other cabinet last year, a 10 pair cable was put in, with Openreach's stated intention that if other customers in our row complained about "unsolvable" problems, they would also be diverted onto this new cable, by cross connecting the old and new cables in the box in the front of my house.

A few months after I was moved to the new cabinet and cable, our neighbour two doors up also got moved on to it.

So this cable and duct under my garden now not only service my house, but a neighbour's as well. How does that change things?

It's not an issue for me at the moment, but I'm very tempted to move over to CityFibre which is now available in my area, and could end up with a duct, cable and joint on my property that services others, but not me.

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:09:33 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

On my view of the forum posts, I see "Quick Reply" where you have "Mark as Accepted Solution":

I am logged in to the Forums.

Re: Overhead Lines

gg30340 — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:23:30 GMT

If you are not the OP of the thread you can not mark it as the accepted solution hence no button showing for you to do that.

Re: Overhead Lines

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:33:42 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

@Keith_Beddoe

On my view of the forum posts, I see "Quick Reply" where you have "Mark as Accepted Solution":

I am logged in to the Forums.

@Anonymous

Sorry to mislead you, as CLs can mark post as a solution. I hope that @XYZ2 takes action on this. Most likely message 5 by @Starwire is the correct answer, so I will mark that one.

Re: Overhead Lines

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:36:08 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe, @gg30340

I was wondering how Keith was able to get that screenshot! 😀

What does "CL" stand for?

I'm still hoping to get a reply to my updated question in post #14 though - can this still happen if a solution has been accepted or will the thread then get locked? Do I need to start a new thread?

Re: Overhead Lines

gg30340 — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 11:30:42 GMT

See link about CLs

https://community.bt.com/t5/Announcements-Guides-Community/Who-s-who-in-the-BT-community/td-p/2132844

Re: Overhead Lines

Starwire — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 19:05:05 GMT

A Continuous Type DP.

That was a popular method of providing service on Terraced Homes on Council Estates back in the 60/70’s.

Right pain in the **** to work on, glad I’m out of that job now.