Openreach lines over property attached to a tree?

[Daveallen88]

Help needed, I have three cables running over my property which are in the way of an extension I have planned and Openreach will probably want a hefty sum to move them. The cables are attached to a telegraph pole at one end and the other end is attached to a tree. This strikes me as lazy installation at best, dangerous at worst given the ever changing nature of...well, nature. Clearly they couldn't be bothered to sink another hole for a telegraph pole when putting the cables up in the first place.

I'm wondering if I raise this as a dangerous cable installation, will Openreach move the cables for free?does it constitute a dangerous cable? Anyone in the know?

Thanks.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Daveallen88 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

As this is just a BT Retail forum, you would probably have to raise the issue with Openreach.

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/when-to-get-in-touch-with-openreach

If you want them moved then its likely you will have to pay.

https://www.openreach.com/building-developers-and-projects/altering-our-network

[iniltous]

Presumably these wires don’t deliver your service but service to neighbouring property’s, so they only transit above your ‘land’ .
Is the tree these wires are attached to within your curtilage ?, if so then presumably if not yourself, a previous owner consented to that attachment, and a way-leave should exist , if the tree isn’t within your curtilage then it doesn’t really matter if it’s a tree or a ‘telegraph pole’ , it’s your actions changing the status quo that will result in charges potentially being raised for ‘shifting’ these wires away from your construction, a general rule is if it’s something you do that causes expense to others , you are responsible for their costs

[36ULW]

No, that wouldn’t be considered dangerous. It’s actually an approved method in certain circumstances. It’s very rare, in fact in over 20 years working in Telecoms this is only the third time I’ve seen/heard of such thing.

You own the land your house sits on, you don’t own the air space above it. You might want to look up the, ‘Low Flying Wires Act’.

If you want/need them moving then you’ll have to pay for the Network Rearrangement.