Openreach installation removal

[McGoohan]

New poster, please bear with me if in the wrong category, or whatever.  Can anyone help/advise on this on this issue.........I have just, (Feb), bought my first property, it is only around 50 years old, an ex-council right to buy end terrace on a block of 5.  I am the second owner, the original couple who bought from the Council are now both deceased, I have bought from the Son following a probate case.  On the gable end there is an old BT junction box at high level with wires dangling all over supply old school phone lines to each of the 5 on the block running and clipped to Freehold property.  There is no Wayleave agreement in place with the previous owner, and definitely no contract of any description with me.  I don't know where this junction box gets it's supply from as there does not appear to be any telegraph poles anywhere near. The line to my house from the JB was found to be cut off just outside the front door on purchase.  I have no requirement for any Openreach service, so I have asked them to remove any of their wiring and equipment from my property as they do not have my permission to continue with it.  They are saying I have to pay them a survey fee and then a removal charge before they will do anything?  I am checking, but fairly certain no one else on the block is using a landline phone or internet via the old BT phone cables, so if correct all this wiring and box is actually redundant and obsolete.  I have objected to paying them anything, but they say they have a legal right to leave it there?......Anyone got any legally sound advice?

Thanks.

[imjolly]

The permission for openreah was probably granted by the council at outset being a council house initially and permission not required by previous owner or yourself. That being the case if you want openreach to remove equipment then need to pay - unless it is dangerous

[iniltous]

As stated , often with ex local authority terraces ,  a single wiring  block on one end of the  terrace or a block on either side ‘feeds’ the individual units of the terrace via C.O.W (cable on wall) , the individual units don’t have a wayleave because the easement was granted by the council when they owned it  and endures after the right to buy sale , if you were not made aware of this , go back to your solicitor……this method meant that a telegraph pole or poles wasn’t  needed for service , …..if you don’t want that wall block it’s a chargable service to have it removed , and the charge will also include the cost for the replacement method of service for those addresses , that’s probably going to be a pole , and to find out what the costs will be needs a paid for survey .

As stated , this has no more to do with  BT Consumer than it would concern Sky or Talk Talk , it’s Openreach not BT you need to deal with 

[McGoohan]

Hi, Thanks for that insight....you are probably right.  However, there are a number of wires hanging quite low where the clips have perished, also some cut off with exposed cores, I may persue this angle as a Health and Safety issue?

Many thanks.

[McGoohan]

Hi,
Thanks for your insight....I thought BT and Openreach were more or less one and the same, or at least they were at one stage.
Many thanks.

[iniltous]

Unsightly isn’t the same as unsafe , there will be thousands of blocks on walls that look untidy , but are not going to cause harm or have the potential to cause harm , Openreach are not likely to expend any time , money or energy on it , at best it may get tidied up, it certainly wouldn’t be removed free of charge on this basis.