Broadband cables too low for machinery.

redunited

Hi all, apologies if in the wrong forum.

Travelled up to my old mother's house which had been left empty for a few years.

The plan is to redevelop the house and put an extension on it. Its a rural bungalow down a country lane.

When at the house I noticed that there now appears to be about 5 broadband cables running across the property to the Telephone polls, however they are so low that its doubtful if any machinery could access the land to start this extension.

It seems that Eir, or NBI have been out over the past year and done this work.

5 lines seems overly exessive and does make the front of the property look very messy, but my main concern is getting machinery into the land.

Do I have any rights to have these lines made higher, or what normally happens in these situations?

Thanks

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058356491/broadband-cables-too-low-for-machinery

Did anyone give them permission to lay lines across the property ?

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122278155#Comment_122278155

The cables are at the front of the property but more across the patch of land that you would park the car on at the side of the road, but I would still consider this my land.

There used to be the original telephone cable that was attached to my property, but the Broadband cables are new and certainly no permission was given by me or anyone else for them to lay them across the front of my property.

It seems a new Broadband pole has been erected at the neighbour's derelict property next door to allow the cables to run across.

I know there is no way any heavy or large machinery could enter my driveway due to the low height of these cables cutting across.

muffler

Is the broadband cable or cables not at the same height as the original telephone line? If it's possible can you state the actual height they are above ground level.

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122278280#Comment_122278280

I just had a look at some photos I took, this is probably the best I have.

The line between them is the Electricity cable.

muffler

Hard to say what height they are at but I think 6 metres is the minimum height they have to be at an entrance to a residential property. They do appear to be a metre or so short of that.

redunited

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122278435#Comment_122278435

Yeah that's what I was thinking, there seem to be cables above that seem ok, but you can see the new Broadband cable that seems too low, and it would in my opinion be in the way of any heavy machinery trying to gain access.

Any Idea what recourse I would have?

I imagine its Eir and the NBI I would write too, to see who owns the line, and go from there?

Del2005

You can check here to see if it's the NBI or Eir.

https://nbi.ie/map/

According the HSA electricity lines need to allow a 4m high vehicle enter a property. So phone lines should be the same height.

https://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Agriculture_and_Forestry/Guidelines_for_safe_working_near_overhead_electricity_lines_in_Agriculture.pdf

muffler

Open Eir has guidance to its contractors which recommends a 6 metre clearance at entrances to houses. See last page of document.