Alex_O

Thanks to all for the very helpful suggestions - definitely sounds like there's plenty of options to try before shelling out significant amounts! I'll let you know how it works out... @Bitpipe - good question! We ditched our BT land line and Virgin cable a few years and haven't really missed either - we use mobiles for calls and Relish for wireless 4G broadband. We'll need to check the specific signal quality for Relish on the site, but various mobile providers all seem to get a good signal.

Hello. I've read a few threads around this issue that have been very helpful, however I was hoping someone might be able to confirm what I'm thinking and fill in any gaps! We have two overhead flying wires crossing the corner of our site. They run from a pole on the pavement opposite our site to the eaves of a neighbouring 3 storey school building. The corner of our proposed house will also be under the wires, with the ridge at about 5m above ground. I'm not sure exactly how high the wires are over the site, but I suspect they would end up very close to the roof. I contacted Openreach to ask what the options were, and they suggested I start a new site enquiry so they could quote for a new connection for our use. We're not really expecting to need one, but I wasn't sure if I should say that yet. So after sending them full details of the site, they've now written back saying that their existing apparatus may be affected by our works and a survey is now required - for which they require a payment of an estimated total of £943. Following the survey they will provide a detailed estimate and specification for the alterations. The line seems to be that they need to ensure their network is protected, and therefore we need to pay whatever it costs for them to resolve. That may be fair and normal procedure, but given the that the works could end up costing several thousands I just wanted to check if anyone's had similar experiences. The site plan shows that the pole would likely need to me moved about 5m along the pavement for the wires (blue dashed line) to completely bypass our site and run over the school's grounds instead. Thanks! Here's a photo;

Just signed up and excited to get involved in the forums! Me and my partner have just got planning for our new-build home in London, after a year-long application process. Lots to think about right now, so will just start by saying hi! I'm going to have a good browse now, and will aim to post more details of our plans in future posts... Alex