Cross Country Pipeline Services

For over 30 years Bell Ingram has been providing specialist Land Agency Services throughout The UK to promoters of Oil and Gas Pipelines. Our services embrace the entire range of property related activities required on any cross-country project.

Bell Ingram provided Land Agency Services to British Gas on pipelines running from the north east of Scotland to the Borders. We provided the same services for Shell and BP on gas pipeline projects throughout Scotland and the north of England. We have also worked with clients taking pipelines to gas fired power stations and fuel lines to airports with recent projects undertaken in Scotland, the North of England and South Wales.

We provide services for all phases of a cross-country pipeline project and have a thorough understanding of the Pipeline and Gas Acts under which schemes are built. Many of our professional staff have over 20 years experience on pipeline projects and have worked on projects involving well over 1500km of pipelines throughout the UK.

Bell Ingram provides independent advice, with no conflict of interest. Our team approach enables us to respond to your needs quickly and flexibly.

Initial Routing and Referencing

We help you plan a route, taking into account local land use and agricultural constraints. We make initial approaches to landowners and obtain contact and property boundary details.

Obtaining Consents and Wayleaves

A comprehensive understanding of the legal requirements and the appropriate standard documentation and terms, together with a working knowledge of current market rates, helps to expedite lengthy negotiations with landowners.

We draft standard consent or wayleave documents under the appropriate act and obtain the landowners’ agreement to enable the project to proceed.

Compulsory Rights and Public Inquiry

We help you prepare Compulsory Rights Applications and provide expert witnesses for Hearings or Inquiries.

The presentation of good comparable evidence is essential to ensuring success at a hearing or an inquiry. A professional, well researched presentation may help you avoid compulsory acquisition.

Access Rights and Land Acquisition

We obtain landowners’ consent for access to conduct surveys, negotiate temporary and permanent access rights and acquire land for above ground installations.

Understanding the project requirements and the current market rates for access rights and land purchase means we can often secure early agreements.

Pre-Construction Survey

We undertake drainage appraisals, including land drainage design. We also prepare photographic records of the condition of the project route.

This can significantly reduce problems during construction. Photographic records can reduce disputes over claims for compensation after construction.

Landowner Liaison

We attend to PR and liaise with landowners during the construction phase of a project, including drainage design, accommodation works and advice on land reinstatement. Liaison is undertaken by specialist Agricultural Liaison Officers and Drainage Consultants.

Good communication between the landowner, engineers and contractors can reduce the risks of major delays to the project and can help you avoid large compensation claims.

Compensation Claims

We assess and negotiate crop compensation and disturbance claims arising from the works, including recommendations on the appropriate level of owners’ and occupiers’ reasonable professional costs.

Thorough field inspections and a knowledge of crop prices and reinstatement costs ensures that clients pay realistic levels of compensation to farmers.

Maintenance and Operational Works

We help you arrange access for site works once the pipeline is operational, including agreeing claims for loss and disturbance.

A good knowledge of your rights of access and of the landowners affected smoothes the path for site works to be undertaken.

Development Monitoring

We conduct regular assessments of existing and proposed developments within the vicinity of oil and gas pipelines, this includes consultation with planners and, where necessary, the negotiation of loss of development claims.

Holding regular meetings with planners serves as a reminder to them of the presence of the pipeline and gives advance warning to the promoter of the potential zoning of land for development in proximity to a pipeline.

Financial Services

We handle the provision of financial services, including setting up and managing client accounts to make payments to landowners and their professional advisers.

Efficient management of the financial services within the land agency team speeds up payments to farmers, thus improving goodwill and co-operation.

Water Industry Projects

Bell Ingram has provided Land Agency Services to Water Companies and British Waterways since the early 1990’s and has a proven track record of success. Working with our clients and stakeholders we ensure the project runs on time and remains on budget.

Our clients include:

• North West Water
• Severn Trent Water
• Northumbrian Water
• Scottish Water

We negotiate the acquisition of above ground sites for water schemes, including pumping stations and water treatment works in addition to negotiating crop loss and disturbance compensation on water pipes and sewers.

In the north of England, Bell Ingram has for many years provided Land Agency advice to secure access for maintenance work on canals and for the management of property owned by British Waterways, thus building up a good knowledge of the various Canal Acts. We provide similar services to the Environment Agency in England in securing land rights and access for flood prevention and monitoring schemes.

Water Pipelines and Sewers

We negotiate terms with landowners to acquire land and access rights for sites of any size, from valve chambers to pumping stations and water treatment works.

We reference routes of existing or proposed water mains or sewers, agree accommodation works with occupiers and prepare Records of Condition of the land before construction or maintenance work starts.

We agree compensation for crop loss and damage with landowners or agents on completion of works and provide advice on land drainage and land reinstatement.

Our quick response and accurate information should reduce delays to your engineers entering sites. Early consultation with occupiers usually reduces compensation claims for loss and disturbance.

Canals and Rivers

We negotiate and secure access rights and agreements for temporary site compounds and gain access to enable maintenance work to be carried out on canals. Before work starts on site, our Land Agents will prepare pre-entry Records of Condition. Upon completion of the works they will negotiate crop loss and disturbance claims with landowners.

On rivers, our Land Agents will agree rights with landowners for the installation and operation of monitoring equipment, including necessary rights of access. They will also provide assistance with negotiating terms for flood prevention, which includes securing legal rights to erect flood banks, along with access rights for ongoing maintenance.

With a good understanding of appropriate levels of payments for access rights and of agricultural values, Bell Ingram will ensure you pay a realistic amount for access and compensation where appropriate.

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