Access to field

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Lakelandcross

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For the last month or so a Utilities company has been digging a trench along the road outside our field to lay new Gas and Water pipes. I'm at work all day so I've never seen them actually doing it. They don't work on the trench every day, just dig a bit then nothing for days.

A couple of weeks ago they reached the gateway into the field, dug the trench and put a heavy metal plate over it so we could get to the gate. There isn't a water supply in the field so I have to take water in 5 gallon drums. The water trough is away from the gate so I drive into the field in my 4x4 and fill it up. It isn't easy to drive in because the plate isn't very wide and the angle is tight. I usually have to reverse across it.

It hasn't really been an issue until monday when I turned up to find red plastic barriers in front of the trench and the metal plate out of position. I had to unload the barrels at the side of the road, move the barrier, lift the barrels over the trench and carry them to the trough. I thought they might have put the plate back the next day but it was the same last night so I used a fence post to lever/push the metal plate back into position.

I can't believe they just left it like that. Even if I didn't have to take the water it made it difficult to access the horses (the farrier is coming next week). The field is only 7 acres so I'm sure they know there are horses in it.
 
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Lakelandcross

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MrsMozart said:
Get in touch with the company doing the work. They should be ensuring access.
Click to expand...

They aren't there every day and when they are they have gone before I get there. A friend has seen their vans but they are just white transits without company details. We can manage now I've put the plate back in place but it was very annoying.

hollyandivy123 said:
i think this would be worth a phone call to try and connect your field
Click to expand...

We were told it would cost the same whether the road was already dug up or not plus it's a rented field.
 
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Lakelandcross

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The field access wasn't a problem all last week. The contractors came and went but I still never saw them.

I was off work yesterday and the farrier was coming in the afternoon. The road is too narrow for him to park without blocking traffic (especially when it's being dug up) so he drives into the field gateway.

I was delivering in the area in the morning and happened to pass the field to find the metal plate was missing altogether. Further along the road was a man in a luminous jacket sitting in a car. I asked him if he was in charge and he said no, so I asked who was and he directed me to a van parked further along.

I told the foreman that I needed access to the field but the plate was missing. He apologised and said they had borrowed it to stand a machine on. I told him the farrier was due in 2 hours and he said they would move the machine and it would be back in place within 20 minutes.

I complained about the plate being missing last week and he told me they had left it off because someone was coming to fill in that part of the trench and tarmac but they didn't turn up. He apologised again and said they would fill the trench in where it passes the gate and put the plate back (which they did).

The good news is that they need to be finished in the next 4 weeks or they will be fined.
 
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