Can I influence anthing about how OR run the cables over my property

[kmendoza]

While I was away, OpenReach ran an blue rope accross my garden (about 20m) of it crossing a young oak tree I have that is growing rapidly.

A couple of questions, anticipating that the rope is likely to turn into a cable very shortly.

The tree is likely to rub against the cable in not too distant future. It is young and growing at the rate of about a meter per year and one of the brahcnes of the tree is only a foot away as it is. Given I have had the tree growing for over 10 years, does the liability to manage the tree from interferring with the cable still fall on me or shold this be with openreach, given it is them who has decided to create this situation. (i.e. do i have to now pay for the tree surgeon or should they, not to mention that there may be damage to the tree itself)

Openreach have a second option to run this cable. There is a duct on the street where the cable would ideally be run but the decision was made to run the cable across my garden on costs. As the overall costs are small, do I have any influence on how the cable should be run, given that I am the (only) affected party.

Any advice appreciated

KM

[36ULW]

Bit confused by this. Is this rope laid across your garden, which is an odd way to mark out where a cable will go as they normally use Temp Grey Paint.

Or is the ropes being spanned overhead from a Pole to your house?

How is the existing service to your house fed, is it overhead or underground?

[kmendoza]

aplologies, was not clear. this is a rope, post to post, over my garden at the back of the house, indicating a planned cable to be spun accross, presumably shortly. 

nawt to do with supplying our house. we dont have any bt service at all (and assuming we got it, it ouwld be serviced from the distribution point on the pavement at the front of our house.

[36ULW]

Right, OK. I thought you meant it was in reference to a fibre service you were due to get.

Post as in Telegraph/Telephone Pole?

Openreach don’t normally span ropes overhead, there’s no way the can be secured correctly and there’s also absolutely no point to doing it either.

I have seen/heard of cases where Alt Nets do it though and they shouldn’t.

To be honest regardless of who it is, Openreach, CityFibre, VM, etc they’ve probably done it to avoid a costly Civils Dig. No way to know for sure unless you spoke to the person planning the PON Build.

Ref to overhead cable you’d prob want to read up on the, ‘Flying Wires Act’.

[kmendoza]

Yea, an openreach fellow came out and expalined this. He suggseted exactly what you are saying....

>> ‘Flying Wires Act’.

yea i read it but it doesnt seem to be concise enough for my question...basically, i was safe from liability but assuming this goes ahead, OR will be putting me into a position of having liability if the cable gets damaged...

[licquorice]

This has absolutely nothing to do with this BT retail forum.

You need to take it up with Openreach.

[36ULW]

To be honest I really wouldn’t worry about it.

If Openreach do put a cable between the two poles and if at some point in the next 15 - 20 years it gets Damaged then it’ll be their responsibility to replace it.