National Grid - want to survey my land.......

National Grid - want to survey my land.......

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LDN

Original Poster:

8,905 posts

202 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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Anyone had any experience of this?

A company running surveys on behalf of the National Grid, has just gotten in touch regarding some land I have in North Wales. I can't seem to get a clear answer from the rep' except that they only need a day - and I'll be £250 richer for just signing to allow them access... he says it's an ecological survey but there must be more to it surely?? Why would they want to spend a few hours on the land? Surely with a view to laying cables or some such thing...

Anyone with any experience of this?

Rickyy

6,618 posts

218 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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Plans of proposing a solar farm maybe? Farmer I do work for has had it done in one of his fields.

010101

1,305 posts

147 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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How far from the grid is it?

scjgreen

571 posts

133 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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From what I can see you have nothing to lose... worst case you are £250 better off.

On the other hand they may ask to put something on your land netting you a not inconsiderable sum!

Myc

306 posts

160 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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National Grid are rolling out new pylon runs at the moment so highly likely they are considering running pylons across your land.

My understanding is that they can Compulsory Purchase the footprint of land under the pylon for a pretty small sum.

MJG280

722 posts

258 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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You want to find out exactly what they are going to do. Is this just a walk over a field noting things or is it exploratory work.

If exploratory then I would be very wary of this as if they are going to take any samples that's usually boring into the ground and the guys who do this sort of work are usually very good at destroying fields.
Look in the the nearest town for a firm of Chartered Surveyors who are Land Agents and use them to sort it out for you. National Grid will pay your fees. You need a proper Licence in place to protect yourself and the field.

Also £250 is nothing in the grand scheme of things

LDN

Original Poster:

8,905 posts

202 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
The land is already protected; they can't so much as touch a branch without the conservation people putting a stop to it... which is what makes me think this is part of a big plan that could override such 'issues' as they see it.

Mention of a compulsory purchase has got me worried! Will find out more.

PAULJ5555

3,554 posts

175 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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If worried about the out come and them buying the lad for a small sum then you had better say no as once they get the survey and they want to put stuff on your land they already have the key = survey.

Do you need the £250, is it worth the potential hassle/reduction in value of your land.

Morningside

24,110 posts

228 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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Is it a one off £250 or every time? Because I thought you would say thank you and then every day 20 lorries turn up for six months churning up the land causing more trouble than it's worth.

Simpo Two

85,148 posts

264 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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PAULJ5555 said:
If worried about the out come and them buying the lad for a small sum then you had better say no as once they get the survey and they want to put stuff on your land they already have the key = survey.
Interesting. I expect most people grab the £250 and then as you say the ball is rolling...

Richie Slow

7,499 posts

163 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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I occasionally need to accommodate National Grid employees coming onto my land. They are always polite and courteous and offer compensation where they may have some impact on our daily lives for inconvenience to us or perhaps some tree cutting. The project managers keep in close contact with us too to ensure that we are happy.

I could easily take the approach that NG are a nuisance and an enemy but the reality is that they are just trying to do a job and they work hard to avoid upsetting anybody.

I'm not sure I'd feel the same if I owned a rural idyll and NG wanted to compulsorily purchase part of it and stick some pylons and cables across it, but we don't know that in this case. Based on my dealings with them I think they deserve a fair chance.

Myc

306 posts

160 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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Richie Slow said:
I occasionally need to accommodate National Grid employees coming onto my land. They are always polite and courteous and offer compensation where they may have some impact on our daily lives for inconvenience to us or perhaps some tree cutting. The project managers keep in close contact with us too to ensure that we are happy.

I could easily take the approach that NG are a nuisance and an enemy but the reality is that they are just trying to do a job and they work hard to avoid upsetting anybody.

I'm not sure I'd feel the same if I owned a rural idyll and NG wanted to compulsorily purchase part of it and stick some pylons and cables across it, but we don't know that in this case. Based on my dealings with them I think they deserve a fair chance.
I completely agree with you here and hadn't set out to bash NG, I'm liaising with them on a project and the guys I'm dealing with there have been fantastic.

It's exactly because they are usually so good that the lack of transparency on this occasion is ringing alarm bells.

jfdi

1,033 posts

174 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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I would have thought they're more likely wanting to bury cables rather than put up more pylons

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/15/nat...


LDN

Original Poster:

8,905 posts

202 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
^ indeed; it seems its with a view to burying cables and that my land won't necessarily be wanted for anything but itrs close enough that they have to do an ecological survey to look at any potential impact. I don't need £250 and I'm naturally paranoid and so I'm looking at it more over the weekend. I don;t want to halt progress just by being awkward but...

normalbloke

7,401 posts

218 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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Don't forget, NG don't just play with electrickery!

Condi

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 10th October 2015
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To be fair NG do have their own assessors who are there to ensure the land is returned to its original state, and if its a protected area or whatever they will know far more than you will about what they are allowed to get away with or not.


(not a lot!)