Post by admin on Nov 8, 2006 0:37:14 GMT 1
Electric blues for duo
AN ELDERLY couple living on a remote Valley farm have told of their nightmare battle to get connected to mains electricity.
Walter and Olga Johnson, who live in a converted farmhouse off Holcombe Road, Helmshore, have relied on diesel generators for their electricity supply since they built the house 17 years ago.
But now Mr Johnson, who suffers from arthritis and diabetes and has had two hip replacements, finds it too much of struggle to run the generators – and is desperate to have a mains electricity supply connected.
The 77-year-old said despite started the process with United Utilities prior to 2000, they had still not been connected – mainly because of a dispute over access to neighbouring private land.
He said he finally had confirmation from the firm last January that it would carry out the required work – and he paid them a fee of £4,300.
But the work continues to be delayed by the fact the electricity pole from which the cables need to run is in the land of a neighbouring farmer, who is refusing to allow work to be carried out unless paid £10,000 by Mr Johnson.
Rossendale MP Janet Anderson wrote to Philip Green, chief executive of United Utilities, after Mr Johnson went to see her, asking if the company was prepared to enforce a compulsory way leave order, to allow the work to go ahead without the landowner’s consent.
She has now also raised it as a parliamentary question with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
She said: ‘I do hope that the problem can be resolved. This has gone on for so long and it seems that the only solution is for them to enforce a compulsory way leave and I hope they do.’
Mr Johnson said the situation was causing him and his wife a great deal of distress, particularly since their large generator blew a head gasket six weeks ago, leaving their power supply unreliable.
He said: ‘When I was younger it was no problem, but now it’s an absolute nightmare keeping the generators going.
‘It has become an absolute bind. At our age my wife and I need proper heating.’
Susan Riley, the neighbouring farmer involved in the dispute, confirmed she had made the large cash demand and said it was because of a long history of disputes between her own family and the Johnsons.
A United Utilities spokesman said connecting customers to the electricity network could be a lengthy and complex process if there was any dispute over access to private land to lay the necessary cables.
He said: ‘We appreciate this is very frustrating for the customer and we are currently in discussions with the agent representing the neighbouring land owner in a bid to resolve this issue so we can connect the customer as swiftly as possible.’
Kelly Livesey
First published by the Rossendale Free Press
AN ELDERLY couple living on a remote Valley farm have told of their nightmare battle to get connected to mains electricity.
Walter and Olga Johnson, who live in a converted farmhouse off Holcombe Road, Helmshore, have relied on diesel generators for their electricity supply since they built the house 17 years ago.
But now Mr Johnson, who suffers from arthritis and diabetes and has had two hip replacements, finds it too much of struggle to run the generators – and is desperate to have a mains electricity supply connected.
The 77-year-old said despite started the process with United Utilities prior to 2000, they had still not been connected – mainly because of a dispute over access to neighbouring private land.
He said he finally had confirmation from the firm last January that it would carry out the required work – and he paid them a fee of £4,300.
But the work continues to be delayed by the fact the electricity pole from which the cables need to run is in the land of a neighbouring farmer, who is refusing to allow work to be carried out unless paid £10,000 by Mr Johnson.
Rossendale MP Janet Anderson wrote to Philip Green, chief executive of United Utilities, after Mr Johnson went to see her, asking if the company was prepared to enforce a compulsory way leave order, to allow the work to go ahead without the landowner’s consent.
She has now also raised it as a parliamentary question with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
She said: ‘I do hope that the problem can be resolved. This has gone on for so long and it seems that the only solution is for them to enforce a compulsory way leave and I hope they do.’
Mr Johnson said the situation was causing him and his wife a great deal of distress, particularly since their large generator blew a head gasket six weeks ago, leaving their power supply unreliable.
He said: ‘When I was younger it was no problem, but now it’s an absolute nightmare keeping the generators going.
‘It has become an absolute bind. At our age my wife and I need proper heating.’
Susan Riley, the neighbouring farmer involved in the dispute, confirmed she had made the large cash demand and said it was because of a long history of disputes between her own family and the Johnsons.
A United Utilities spokesman said connecting customers to the electricity network could be a lengthy and complex process if there was any dispute over access to private land to lay the necessary cables.
He said: ‘We appreciate this is very frustrating for the customer and we are currently in discussions with the agent representing the neighbouring land owner in a bid to resolve this issue so we can connect the customer as swiftly as possible.’
Kelly Livesey
First published by the Rossendale Free Press
