Woman charged £1,000 to move telecom company's mast wires in garden

10 November 2023 , 11:34

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Ellen Ballantyne is unhappy with the mast in her back garden (Image: Greenock Telegraph / SWNS)

A pensioner has been slapped with a £1,000 bill from telecoms giant Openreach to move mast wires in her garden.

Ellen Ballantyne, 67, wants to create a peaceful outdoor seating area at her home in Greenock, Renfrewshire, but a mast and "stay wire" has been an eyesore in her garden for more than two decades.

Openreach told Ellen that a survey must be done before the wire's position can be changed. Ellen, though, can't complete her gardening restoration until the mast is relocated.

The telecommunications giant said the cost of the survey - which could hit £1,000 - must be paid by Ellen. She expressed her frustration, saying: "I don't understand why it's me who has to pay when it's them who put it here in the first place."

The pensioner, from Greenock, Scotland, wants to lay decking and have an outdoor seating area at the property (Greenock Telegraph / SWNS)

"I'm trying to improve the property for the future and make the outside look better. They should be paying me to have this in my garden. All I'm asking for is for the wire to be moved a bit closer to the fence so there's more space for the decking."

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Ellen, who is retired, grew up in the property and cared for her parents there in their later years. She moved away for a while but returned to the house in 2010.

Ellen, a charity shop volunteer in Greenock, has cleared away trees and greenery to make way for decking. She's never been bothered by the mast and stay wire in her garden, she said: "The mast has been there for a long time and I understand that it needs to be there. "

She added: "I've never really thought about it until now. The position of the wire is going to make it really difficult to install the decking."

Openreach explained that "survey costs are estimated" and "based upon how long it takes to complete the surveying activity and all associated administration work" A spokesperson stated: "If we're asked to undertake work on behalf of a householder, Openreach is entitled to seek reimbursement for the cost of the work and any associated surveys. "

They continued: "The cost of a survey depends on things like the type and complexity of infrastructure involved; the time it takes, including travel; and site safety, so we do want to make sure householders are aware of possible charges before any work goes ahead."

"We're continuing to look into this case, with the pole due for a regular maintenance test this winter, and will continue to discuss it directly with the customer." the spokesperson added, emphasising that survey costs are an 'indicative average cost'.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Elizabeth Hunter