Moving overhead power lines - advice needed

[Don D]

Hi,

We are looking for some advice on how to approach our energy provider, National Grid, regarding moving the existing overhead power supply to our house. 

 

We plan to demolish our current bungalow and replace it with a new building, which will largely be on the same footprint but probably be a 1.5 or 2 storey build. Ideally, we want the supply to go underground.

 

The photos hopefully show the current arrangement, which is delivered from a 9m pole on our neighbour's property, across our drive and onto a short metal pole on the corner of our house. 

 

Ideally what we want is to be in as strong a position as possible in the conversation and wonder if there may be some leverage in the following factors:-

• The existing cables may well be too low** they are only 9ft above our drive at the lowest point
• A few years ago the previous supplier, Western Power, approached us under a Project which was looking to reduce overhead lines (that died a death and we never heard anything more)
• We would do the trench work and install a suitable external cabinet

 

**we have not been able to find any guidance covering cables over a private drive, only the 1988 legislation which talks about "a road accessible to vehicular traffic" roads https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1057/part/IV/made

 

Thanks for reading, Don

 

    

[Don D]

The photos - showing l to r, cables over our drive, attachment to metal bracket on the bungalow and the cables coming off the neighbours pole. 

 

[Nickfromwales]

I’ve just moved clients into their new build home, and at the outset of the entire project when we had to redirect overhead 3ph supplies that spanned the plot we found a chap who was ‘no win no fee’ that handled the DNO application on the clients behalf. His “promise” was to get the price discounted and he’d bag 20% of the sum saved. This resulted in an £11k quote being reduced to a net cost to the client of £6k. Well done that man!

 

If you can think of it, someone is making money creating a solution around it! 🤷‍♂️