Building Within 9 Metres Of Overhead Power Lines?

[ProDave]

Some of you may no that if everything goes to plan we will be building a new house soon(ish)

I've just had confirmation from SSE for the electricity supply to the site.  No great surprises, but just confirmation we can get a new supply.

BUT there's a note on their plan:

Before undertaking any work within 9 metres of our overhead lines you must arrange an on site meeting with the manager to discuss method of work, type of mechanical excavators and how they will be used when working in proximity to our cables.  A manager will be appointed to you upon payment of your job.

Now I seem to be at am impasse, that I can't get to speak to a manager about this until I pay for the supply.  But I don't want to pay for the supply until we are ready for it.

The house we are proposing is quite close (5 metres) from the public road, making it 8 metres fromthe 11KV overhead line on the other side of the road.

Am I going to be in for a LOT of grief and elf n safety nonsense (and cost?) if I go ahead with building 8 metres from the overhead line?

Or would I be better off compromising the design slightly (slightly less view and slightly less back garden) by moving the house back 1 metre, thus making it 9 metres from the overhead line?

Our present house is exactly 8 metres from the same overhead line, so in the REAL world, the presence of the overhead line is not an issue, and 10 years ago when we built this one, they didn't impose that "rule" 

 

[Evans Electric]

I'd guess they are thinking in terms of a tall tower crane or something that could touch the lines .  On a house build you'd have nothing more than a standard JCB digger wouldn't you ?    Or are you going up 6 stories?

Don't compromise , leave it as is.

 

[ProDave]

Yes just a 1 1/2 storey house (Dormer bungalow to you southerners)

I expect just a JCB driven by an inexperienced driver (me) if all goes to plan.

But I wouldn't expect the bucket to be swinging out over the public road, let alone far enough to hit the overhead line.

I was wondering if they are bothered about scaffolding?  If the house is 8 metres from the line, then the scaffold will only be 7 metres from the 11KV line.  Would that bother them and make them want me to pay to have that section insulated?

We will need a mobile crane on site almost certainly for a day, lifting roof trusses and some roof beams (steel or Glue Laminated) But on our last build the crane driver looked at the lines and said "I'll be working illegally then  :innocent "

 

[NozSpark]

They're probably wouldn't be thinking that you're going to touch their cables,,, its more to do with the electric jumping across to your equipment

My dad had an 11kV shock in the early 80's,, a crane was removing their boiler and replacing it with another (approx 500,000btu),,, the jib got too close to an overhead 11kV line (miserable weather) and the electric jumped... my dad was leaning on the crane! IIRC he got thrown about 10 foot and burnt a hole in his wellies also a few minor burns.... never went to hospital and brushed himself off and carried on with the job in hand!!!!

 

[Sharpend]

They're probably wouldn't be thinking that you're going to touch their cables,,, its more to do with the electric jumping across to your equipment

My dad had an 11kV shock in the early 80's,, a crane was removing their boiler and replacing it with another (approx 500,000btu),,, the jib got too close to an overhead 11kV line (miserable weather) and the electric jumped... my dad was leaning on the crane! IIRC he got thrown about 10 foot and burnt a hole in his wellies also a few minor burns.... never went to hospital and brushed himself off and carried on with the job in hand!!!!

Now that's when men were men! Unlike today's brood where men are women!

 

[binky]

sounds like they are being cautious, with fairly good reason. What it sounds like you need is a working method that keeps them happy, like not using crane from the road.