Redundant Concrete Electricity Poles

[Jackieuk]

I don't know if anyone has been in a similar position,but when we bought our house (8 years ago now, where does the time go?) there was a redundant concrete electricity post thingy in the front garden area.

It has been cunningly disguised with ivy and I can fool friends and family by asking them if they have ever seen an 'Ivy Tree' before :-) 

I think that perhaps it's now time for it to make way for something more attractive and was wondering if anyone knows whether EDF would remove it and if so, would we have to pay for the privilege?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Jackie
Northumberland & Manche

[Suze01]

Yes, you can write to EDF to ask for it to be removed. My friends did exactly that last year. I can't remember though if they had to pay for it.

[AnOther]

Do EDF have to pay wayleave as the electricity companies and BT have to in UK ?

[Quillan]

[quote user="AnOther"]Do EDF have to pay wayleave as the electricity companies and BT have to in UK ?

[/quote]

Don't know about BT and the UK but having two of these concrete pylons in my garden I did ask when we bought the house and the answer for those is no. I asked because not only do they feed my house but some of my neighbours as well. EDF is in the process of removing these types of pylon in residential areas putting the cables under ground where practicable. They did most of our village a few years back and have just started to do where we are.

[Jackieuk]

Many thanks for your replies - I may even be brave enough to call the EDF helpline number that I've just noticed above this posting and see what they say - I just have a sinking feeling that they will charge us LOTS of euros to remove it [:(]

Jackie

[pachapapa]

The situation in france is curious with a law in 1906 establishing the departments and communes as providers and OWNERS of the distribution network.

In Deux-Sèvres the original SIEDS still survives to this day under the guise of SEOLIS, a similar situation exists in La Vienne, no idea about Manche.

A law in 1946 nationalised the supply of electric power making EDF the preferred concessionaire.

Without getting too much into french complexities, the concessionaire may have paid an indemnité for the installation of the pole also possibly a servitude with payment of an annual fee; there should be something on your "acte de vente". On the assumption that the pole is not used and is redundant, most built up areas now distribute near houses with underground connections then the rights to the pole have probably reverted to the local commune or communauté de communes. I suggest thay you have a friendly chat with your secretary at the mairie to establish who is king of the post, there may be more assistance than you anticipate, possibly a 50:50 share of costs. A devious possibility is to get a permit to build something around the pole which would then be an entravement to your building project and you could insist on it being removed for free; even broaching a proposed construction could persuade the commune to put pressure on the concessionaire ( EDF probably but could be ERDF as is the case in DS ) to remove the post which he has left after terminating the use and any possible reuse in the future.

[BIG MAC]

Wow! your own climbing wall

 

[AnOther]

If it's redundant and there is room then I suppose there is always a chance that it could 'accidentally' get knocked over [Www]

[Jo]

The one outside our house was removed and the cables put underground, but as it was the seller who paid for it all I don't know how much it was.[:D]