SERVICES

We are specialists in helping landowners recover their full compensation entitlement when a power company wishes to use privately owned land to build a new electricity line or to upgrade an existing line.

When a new line (of any voltage) is built by a power company, the owner and/or occupier of the land affected by the line has a statutory entitlement to compensation for all loss and damage suffered.

For new transmission lines (110kV, 220kV and 400kV) the compensation for the acquisition rights of access to the land required to build the line can be negotiated in advance.
We can assist landowners in relation to the negotiation of compensation and the terms and conditions by which access is granted to build a new line.

We can also assist on the negotiation on compensation for the acquisition of a wayleave or an easement and for the rights of access required to land for transmission line projects and in relation to wind farm and solar farm connections. We do not work for power companies, only for landowners.

What is the difference between an electricity wayleave and an easement?

An easement is a written legal agreement with the landowner which precludes the use of the land in a specified corridor for a specific purpose other than agricultural use. There are three main type of easements that are usually brokered for electricity lines; Building, Forestry and Quarry. Easements, unlike wayleaves, are registered on the title documents of the land.

A wayleave is simply a right to place an electricity line on land where the full ownership of the land and all rights and interests in the land, including development, forestry and quarrying rights are retained by the owner.

Under the Electricity Acts, compensation can be claimed for the placing of new electricity lines of all voltages including 10kV, 20kV and 38 kV, 110kV, 200kV and 400kV lines.’. If a compensation claim cannot be settled by agreement with the power company it can be referred to a Property Arbitrator for a binding decision on the amount of compensation to be paid. See our Documents section for decisions of Property Arbitrators.

We are specialists in acting for owners and developers of residential development sites and quarries crossed by existing electricity lines. This is a complex area where the correct preparation of planning applications is essential to ensure that the development potential of the site can be realised and/or compensation can be claimed.