1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170 
NIGH LOADS
Page 53
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
QWe transport loads up to 4.5m high and frez quently encounter telephone wires which are lower than our loads.
I have heard that there is a minimum height that such wires should be set at.
Could you advise me what this height is and, if there is such a regualtion, who is responsible for the cost of putting wires back if we pull them down? PS, Uttoxeter AThe height of telephone wires is governed by the terms of the licence issued by the Department of Trade and Industry to British Telecom under Section 7 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.
Paragraph 8.1 of Condition 8 of Schedule 4 of the licence states: "Lines installed over the carriageway of a maintainable highway shall be placed at a height of not less than 5.5 metres (18.03ft) above the carriageway, or in the case of a designated high-load route, not less than 6.5 metres (21.3ft), except where the Highway Authority has previously agreed in writing."
If you bring down telephone lines at a height of 4.5 metres, unless the road was clearly marked with a height restriction, you have no responsibility.
For cables to be lower than the prescribed limit the Highway Authority responsible for that road would have had to give permission to BT, and the responsibility of clear markings would have been both on the Highways Authority and on BT. If you damage your vehicle or any load in this situation you could sue British Telecom.