This topic

Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:12:49 GMT

Hi firstly 🙂 , not sure this is the right place to post this, but I have had a dropped curb approved by my local council and I was told by one of the contractors to check with BT Openreach before any work is carried out.

Openreach have come back to me and said it is £1200 for a survey, let along doing any work. With the survey at that kind of money I am dreading what any work would actually be. I stupidly got the driveway paved as I was told to get that done before sorting the dropped curb and stupidly had assumed that because the council had approved it was good to go lol.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the survey and subsequent costs based on the this type of cover and what is under neath? Long shot i know, but it would be good to get any idea if anything is possible or not :). Thank you

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

iniltous — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:25:33 GMT

It’s not the correct place to post , BT isn’t a proxy for Openreach but you are looking at thousands of pounds potentially, plus if the picture is of the actual jointbox ( FYI , you shouldn’t be opening it ) there is also Alternative Network equipment inside , which would also need relocation, so no doubt a bill from them as well as Openreach.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:27:27 GMT

Thanks for the reply and what I was coming to the conclusion off. Well it is closed now 🙂

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:27:17 GMT

Much more than you could ever afford, there are a lot of connections there. Cheaper to move house.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:27:47 GMT

Yea realising that now lol.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

tonysmini018 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:10:09 GMT

Rather than moving the box the surveyor may just plan to replace the frame and cover with a reinforced version.

It’s not going to be cheap.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:14:36 GMT

Hi the contents also need to be lowered I think rather than just a new frame lid.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

countrypaul — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:22:48 GMT

The relationship between the driveway, OR box and road can't be seen from the photo but would there be any chance of moving your entrance a few feet one way or the other to avoid the box? Might be cheaper than moving the box even if redoing part of the driveway.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 22:11:25 GMT

We can look to have half the drop done, so it isn't a complete loss and I might stick some ramps on the road for where the BT cover is. Still can't believe the survey cost though..crazy amount

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

36ULW — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:37:01 GMT

The Survey Cost is absorbed by the Network Rearrangement Cost if you go ahead with the work.

If I remember right the Survey Cost used to be a lot less and they’d then just add the rest to the Network Rearrangement Cost but as people weren’t going ahead with the works so Openreach were left out of pocket.

That box also includes PIA Network Equipment so they may need involvement as well. Can’t so for sure but I assume that’s something Openreach would do?

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:38:07 GMT

Thanks, that wasn't mentioned to me in terms of the absorption cost. It is the Network Rearrangement Cost that I am worried about. I suspect it will be cost prohibitive, but don't know how easy it is to drop the cables in the box. The ducting looks low enough, but there are a lot of cables in there. If it is a few thousand then it is what it is, but my gut is telling me it would in the 10s, which is not an option.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

naylor2006 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:11:29 GMT

I know this isnt entirely helpful but for my understanding...

You have installed a driveway at your home where there never was one before, to gain access to the new driveway a drop curb needs to be installed from the road onto the pavement, the pavement then forms part of the journey onto your new drive....and finally on that pavement there is this Openreach manhole? Which of course you would need to drive over to get to your drive?

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:19:18 GMT

Hi we have extended out the drive and looking to extend the dropped curb (which the council has given has a license for) and yes part of it has a Openreach manhole.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

naylor2006 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:22:13 GMT

Ahh okay, I see what you mean, sorta like going from a single to a double drive way and the extra bit is over the manhole.

I found this post on something similar for further context:

Solved: Applying for a dropped kerb - BT Community

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:33:10 GMT

Thanks will take a look 🙂

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

drewbie1 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:33:52 GMT

Ah yes saw that article. We might bite the bullet and see what BT do say.

Re: Drop Curb and BT Openreach cover..

naylor2006 — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:39:54 GMT

Good luck, you'll have to let us know how you get on. These things are never easy, my friend installed a new drive in some land he had next to his house, of course had to get a drop curb, there were no complications such as manhole covers and so on but it took nearly a year.