| Glossary | Definition |
|---|---|
| Access | Used to describe the route taken by a Statutory Undertaker over private land to reach the apparatus. |
| Access Agreement | An agreement allowing one or more parties the ability to cross pieces of land which they do not own, but not to carry out works. |
| AONB | Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, land designated and protected under the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 to conserve and enhance natural beauty. Administrated by Natural England. |
| Apparatus | Utility equipment including pipelines, cables, pressure reducing installations (PRI), substations etc. |
| AutoCAD | Software used to open and manipulate Computer Aided Design (CAD) files and produce accurate legal plans. |
| Cables | Catch-all term for wires, earthing, monitoring equipment and cladding used to carry electricity. |
| CILEX | Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. A professional body offering qualifications, certification and advice for professional development to legal professionals. |
| Co-operation Agreement | An agreement between two or more parties who wish to enter into a working relationship towards a shared goal. |
| Connected Systems Exit Point (CSEP) | The point at which a new gas supply joins the existing or “live” network. |
| Covenantor | A party to a legal agreement who provides commitments, generally in relation to the quality of works undertaken on site. |
| Damage Compensation | money awarded to a victim of damage or loss as a result of unauthorised activity. |
| Data Centre | A dedicated space – room, building or facility – for housing IT infrastructure and storing the data they use and produce. |
| Deed of Easement | Legal rights granted to a person or organisation over land they do not own. Easements are permanent and are registered to the land, so they “run with the land” and persist through transfers of ownership. |
| DNO | Distribution Network Operator. Successors to the Electricity Boards and later Regional Electricity Companies, a DNO operates the electricity transmission in a specific geographical area. |
| ECNO | Electronic Communications Network Operator. A Statutory Undertaker in the Communications Industry, regulated by Ofcom. The Electronic Communications Code of Practice empowers ECNOs and Ofcom maintains a register of “Operators”. |
| EHV | Extra High Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating above 33,000 Volts (33kV). Generally used for national transmission. |
| Electricity Act 1989 | Act of Parliament restructuring the Electricity Industry, setting out obligations, powers and regulations relating to the operation of electricity networks. |
| EV Charger | Electric Vehicle Charger. |
| Grantor | A party of a legal agreement granting rights. For Easements, there is only a Grantor. For Transfers and Leases, a Grantor describes someone who is joining only to grant easement or access rights and is not involved with the parcel of land which is being transferred or leased. |
| Heads of Terms | A document that sets out the intended terms of a contract or agreement, including any potential premiums for payment. Whilst not legally binding this establishes the framework for the final agreement in advance of a formal negotiation. |
| Highway | A route over which members of the public are able to pass and repass. |
| HV | High Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating between 11,000 -33,000 (11kV – 33kV). Generally used for regional distribution or supplying industry with high power demand. |
| IDNO | Independent Distribution Network Operator. A Statutory Undertaker in the Electricity Industry. |
| IGT | Independent Gas Transporter. A Statutory Undertaker in the Gas Industry. |
| Incorporated Rights | A framework which allows legal rights to be granted to an IDNO and a DNO simultaneously for a shared substation, within a single legal agreement. |
| Indemnity Policy | An insurance policy intended to protect against a particular risk. Common risks include rights required over unregistered land, references to old agreements on title documents which are no longer available for investigation and the presence of mining permissions on a site. |
| KPI | Key Performance Indicator. A measurement of a business’s success in dealing with targets within acceptable criteria (timescales, costs etc.). |
| Landlord | A person who has granted a lease. Usually this is the owner of a Freehold title out of which the lease is granted. |
| Land Registry | A government organisation which registers the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and maintains a database of ownership and agreements affecting the land. |
| Land Rights | Legal permissions/consents granted by a landowner to allow a Statutory Undertaker to access and conduct works on their apparatus. |
| Lease | A lease gives a person or organisation the right to occupy a title (or part of one) for a specified term of years. |
| Licence | A permission given by the Owner of Land to another User to enter on to or conduct some form of works on the Land. These are suitable for less formal arrangements which do not require an Easement or Wayleave, but are revokable by the Landowner. |
| Local Authority | Local Councils, generally responsible for delivering services across a county such as education, transport and planning. |
| LV | Low Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating between 230 – 11,000 Volts (230V - 11kV). Generally used for residential and small business supplies. |
| NAV | New Appointments and Variations. Limited companies which provide a water and/or sewerage service to customers that were previously served by a statutory water company. A new appointment is when a limited company is appointed by Ofwat and a variation is where and existing appointed company applies to Ofwat to vary its appointment, extending the areas it supplies. |
| Non-operational Land | Land owned by a statutory undertaker which is not actively used for the operation of the network. For example, land owned around a Primary Substation which may be retained for clearance or future expansion. |
| Panel of Solicitors | An approved list of solicitor firms maintained by most Statutory Undertakers. Solicitor firms on the panel are authorised to act for the Statutory Undertaker. |
| Permitted Development/General Permitted Development | A type of development for which planning permission is not required. |
| Pipes | Apparatus used for the transportation of liquids or gases. |
| Point of Connection | The point at which a new electricity supply joins into the existing or “live” network. |
| Primary substation | A large substation site which lowers electrical voltage from EHV (long-distance transmission) to HV (distribution). |
| Reserved Rights | Rights in a Deed which are granted to the Owner of Land subject to a Deed. These most commonly allow a Landowner selling Land to retain a right of access over the Land sold. |
| Retained Land | Where a landowner Transfers part of their title, the Retained Land is the part of their title which stays in their ownership. |
| Right of Way | A right to cross land which you do not own. |
| Services | Describes apparatus dedicated to the supply of a single property or commercial unit. |
| Service Provider | Service Providers such as ESL obtain Land Rights at the instruction of our clients on behalf of statutory undertakers. This allows our clients to meet the requirements set by the statutory undertakers to ensure all necessary permissions are in place for future maintenance and operation of the networks. |
| SLA | Service Level Agreement sets out the services provided to the client and the standards the provider is to meet. |
| SSSI | Site of Special Scientific Interest, land designated and protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to select a specific element of wildlife, geology or landform as of “special interest”. Administrated by Natural England. |
| Stakeholder | A party who has an interest in the supply of utilities. Can describe anyone involved in the delivery of utilities such as the company installing, the end user, their agent and so on. |
| Statutory Consent | Consents required by law which must be obtained in certain areas before undertaking works. |
| Statutory Obligations | Conditions with which Statutory Undertakers must comply under the terms of their distribution licences. These are set out in the industry-specific Acts of Parliament (Gas Act 1986, Electricity Act 1989 etc.) and are enforced by Ofgem. |
| Statutory Rights/Powers | Rights or powers which Statutory Undertakers benefit from as set out in their utility’s Act (Electricity Act 1989 etc.). These give them the ability to perform some of their activities without consent – for example, installing apparatus within a publicly-maintained highway. |
| Statutory Undertaker | A regulated body who is licenced to provide a utility supply under the terms of their industry-specific Act (Electricity Act 1989, Gas Act 1986 etc.). |
| Substation | A piece of electricity apparatus which reduces the voltage of an electricity supply from HV (distribution) to LV (end supply). |
| Switch room | Room containing various equipment (switchgear) belonging to an IDNO or DNO, that is important for controlling/maintaining/distributing electrical supply within a building or across a site. |
| Tenant | A person who has obtained a lease. |
| Third Party | A landowner or otherwise interested party who does not directly benefit from the utility network being installed. |
| Transfer | A transfer gives ownership of a Freehold title (or part of one) to another person or organisation. |
| Tower Lines | Overhead electricity cables hung between pylons. |
| Town & Country Planning Act 1990 | Act of Parliament setting up planning authorities and outlining their controls over the planning and development process. Section 106 of the Act allows planning authorities to make contributions, restrictions and arrangements in response to planning applications. |
| Tripartite | An agreement which includes three parties. Commonly seen in the Incorporated Rights process (landowner, IDNO & DNO), and agreements involving a third party (Stat. Undertaker, landowner, third party). Some statutory undertakers (such as Cadent Gas) require the company installing the apparatus to join the legal agreement as a Covenantor (Stat. Undertaker, Landowner, Covenantor). |
| Unregistered Land | Land which has not undergone First Registration with the Land Registry. NB: This does not mean the land is not owned, just that the Land Registry does not hold the records of ownership. |
| Wayleave | A specialised licence between a landowner and another party. These usually run for a specific term of years and are more easily removable than Easements, which is why they are generally used for more easily accessible apparatus (such as overhead lines). |
Glossary:
Access
Definition:
Used to describe the route taken by a Statutory Undertaker over private land to reach the apparatus.
Glossary:
Access Agreement
Definition:
An agreement allowing one or more parties the ability to cross pieces of land which they do not own, but not to carry out works.
Glossary:
AONB
Definition:
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, land designated and protected under the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 to conserve and enhance natural beauty. Administrated by Natural England.
Glossary:
Apparatus
Definition:
Utility equipment including pipelines, cables, pressure reducing installations (PRI), substations etc.
Glossary:
AutoCAD
Definition:
Software used to open and manipulate Computer Aided Design (CAD) files and produce accurate legal plans.
Glossary:
Cables
Definition:
Catch-all term for wires, earthing, monitoring equipment and cladding used to carry electricity.
Glossary:
CILEX
Definition:
Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. A professional body offering qualifications, certification and advice for professional development to legal professionals.
Glossary:
Co-operation Agreement
Definition:
An agreement between two or more parties who wish to enter into a working relationship towards a shared goal.
Glossary:
Connected Systems Exit Point (CSEP)
Definition:
The point at which a new gas supply joins the existing or “live” network.
Glossary:
Covenantor
Definition:
A party to a legal agreement who provides commitments, generally in relation to the quality of works undertaken on site.
Glossary:
Damage Compensation
Definition:
money awarded to a victim of damage or loss as a result of unauthorised activity.
Glossary:
Data Centre
Definition:
A dedicated space – room, building or facility – for housing IT infrastructure and storing the data they use and produce.
Glossary:
Deed of Easement
Definition:
Legal rights granted to a person or organisation over land they do not own. Easements are permanent and are registered to the land, so they “run with the land” and persist through transfers of ownership.
Glossary:
DNO
Definition:
Distribution Network Operator. Successors to the Electricity Boards and later Regional Electricity Companies, a DNO operates the electricity transmission in a specific geographical area.
Glossary:
ECNO
Definition:
Electronic Communications Network Operator. A Statutory Undertaker in the Communications Industry, regulated by Ofcom. The Electronic Communications Code of Practice empowers ECNOs and Ofcom maintains a register of “Operators”.
Glossary:
EHV
Definition:
Extra High Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating above 33,000 Volts (33kV). Generally used for national transmission.
Glossary:
Electricity Act 1989
Definition:
Act of Parliament restructuring the Electricity Industry, setting out obligations, powers and regulations relating to the operation of electricity networks.
Glossary:
EV Charger
Definition:
Electric Vehicle Charger.
Glossary:
Grantor
Definition:
A party of a legal agreement granting rights. For Easements, there is only a Grantor. For Transfers and Leases, a Grantor describes someone who is joining only to grant easement or access rights and is not involved with the parcel of land which is being transferred or leased.
Glossary:
Heads of Terms
Definition:
A document that sets out the intended terms of a contract or agreement, including any potential premiums for payment. Whilst not legally binding this establishes the framework for the final agreement in advance of a formal negotiation.
Glossary:
Highway
Definition:
A route over which members of the public are able to pass and repass.
Glossary:
HV
Definition:
High Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating between 11,000 -33,000 (11kV – 33kV). Generally used for regional distribution or supplying industry with high power demand.
Glossary:
IDNO
Definition:
Independent Distribution Network Operator. A Statutory Undertaker in the Electricity Industry.
Glossary:
IGT
Definition:
Independent Gas Transporter. A Statutory Undertaker in the Gas Industry.
Glossary:
Incorporated Rights
Definition:
A framework which allows legal rights to be granted to an IDNO and a DNO simultaneously for a shared substation, within a single legal agreement.
Glossary:
Indemnity Policy
Definition:
An insurance policy intended to protect against a particular risk. Common risks include rights required over unregistered land, references to old agreements on title documents which are no longer available for investigation and the presence of mining permissions on a site.
Glossary:
KPI
Definition:
Key Performance Indicator. A measurement of a business’s success in dealing with targets within acceptable criteria (timescales, costs etc.).
Glossary:
Landlord
Definition:
A person who has granted a lease. Usually this is the owner of a Freehold title out of which the lease is granted.
Glossary:
Land Registry
Definition:
A government organisation which registers the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and maintains a database of ownership and agreements affecting the land.
Glossary:
Land Rights
Definition:
Legal permissions/consents granted by a landowner to allow a Statutory Undertaker to access and conduct works on their apparatus.
Glossary:
Lease
Definition:
A lease gives a person or organisation the right to occupy a title (or part of one) for a specified term of years.
Glossary:
Licence
Definition:
A permission given by the Owner of Land to another User to enter on to or conduct some form of works on the Land. These are suitable for less formal arrangements which do not require an Easement or Wayleave, but are revokable by the Landowner.
Glossary:
Local Authority
Definition:
Local Councils, generally responsible for delivering services across a county such as education, transport and planning.
Glossary:
LV
Definition:
Low Voltage. Describes electrical apparatus operating between 230 – 11,000 Volts (230V - 11kV). Generally used for residential and small business supplies.
Glossary:
NAV
Definition:
New Appointments and Variations. Limited companies which provide a water and/or sewerage service to customers that were previously served by a statutory water company. A new appointment is when a limited company is appointed by Ofwat and a variation is where and existing appointed company applies to Ofwat to vary its appointment, extending the areas it supplies.
Glossary:
Non-operational Land
Definition:
Land owned by a statutory undertaker which is not actively used for the operation of the network. For example, land owned around a Primary Substation which may be retained for clearance or future expansion.
Glossary:
Panel of Solicitors
Definition:
An approved list of solicitor firms maintained by most Statutory Undertakers. Solicitor firms on the panel are authorised to act for the Statutory Undertaker.
Glossary:
Permitted Development/General Permitted Development
Definition:
A type of development for which planning permission is not required.
Glossary:
Pipes
Definition:
Apparatus used for the transportation of liquids or gases.
Glossary:
Point of Connection
Definition:
The point at which a new electricity supply joins into the existing or “live” network.
Glossary:
Primary substation
Definition:
A large substation site which lowers electrical voltage from EHV (long-distance transmission) to HV (distribution).
Glossary:
Reserved Rights
Definition:
Rights in a Deed which are granted to the Owner of Land subject to a Deed. These most commonly allow a Landowner selling Land to retain a right of access over the Land sold.
Glossary:
Retained Land
Definition:
Where a landowner Transfers part of their title, the Retained Land is the part of their title which stays in their ownership.
Glossary:
Right of Way
Definition:
A right to cross land which you do not own.
Glossary:
Services
Definition:
Describes apparatus dedicated to the supply of a single property or commercial unit.
Glossary:
Service Provider
Definition:
Service Providers such as ESL obtain Land Rights at the instruction of our clients on behalf of statutory undertakers. This allows our clients to meet the requirements set by the statutory undertakers to ensure all necessary permissions are in place for future maintenance and operation of the networks.
Glossary:
SLA
Definition:
Service Level Agreement sets out the services provided to the client and the standards the provider is to meet.
Glossary:
SSSI
Definition:
Site of Special Scientific Interest, land designated and protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to select a specific element of wildlife, geology or landform as of “special interest”. Administrated by Natural England.
Glossary:
Stakeholder
Definition:
A party who has an interest in the supply of utilities. Can describe anyone involved in the delivery of utilities such as the company installing, the end user, their agent and so on.
Glossary:
Statutory Consent
Definition:
Consents required by law which must be obtained in certain areas before undertaking works.
Glossary:
Statutory Obligations
Definition:
Conditions with which Statutory Undertakers must comply under the terms of their distribution licences. These are set out in the industry-specific Acts of Parliament (Gas Act 1986, Electricity Act 1989 etc.) and are enforced by Ofgem.
Glossary:
Statutory Rights/Powers
Definition:
Rights or powers which Statutory Undertakers benefit from as set out in their utility’s Act (Electricity Act 1989 etc.). These give them the ability to perform some of their activities without consent – for example, installing apparatus within a publicly-maintained highway.
Glossary:
Statutory Undertaker
Definition:
A regulated body who is licenced to provide a utility supply under the terms of their industry-specific Act (Electricity Act 1989, Gas Act 1986 etc.).
Glossary:
Substation
Definition:
A piece of electricity apparatus which reduces the voltage of an electricity supply from HV (distribution) to LV (end supply).
Glossary:
Switch room
Definition:
Room containing various equipment (switchgear) belonging to an IDNO or DNO, that is important for controlling/maintaining/distributing electrical supply within a building or across a site.
Glossary:
Tenant
Definition:
A person who has obtained a lease.
Glossary:
Third Party
Definition:
A landowner or otherwise interested party who does not directly benefit from the utility network being installed.
Glossary:
Transfer
Definition:
A transfer gives ownership of a Freehold title (or part of one) to another person or organisation.
Glossary:
Tower Lines
Definition:
Overhead electricity cables hung between pylons.
Glossary:
Town & Country Planning Act 1990
Definition:
Act of Parliament setting up planning authorities and outlining their controls over the planning and development process. Section 106 of the Act allows planning authorities to make contributions, restrictions and arrangements in response to planning applications.
Glossary:
Tripartite
Definition:
An agreement which includes three parties. Commonly seen in the Incorporated Rights process (landowner, IDNO & DNO), and agreements involving a third party (Stat. Undertaker, landowner, third party). Some statutory undertakers (such as Cadent Gas) require the company installing the apparatus to join the legal agreement as a Covenantor (Stat. Undertaker, Landowner, Covenantor).
Glossary:
Unregistered Land
Definition:
Land which has not undergone First Registration with the Land Registry. NB: This does not mean the land is not owned, just that the Land Registry does not hold the records of ownership.
Glossary:
Wayleave
Definition:
A specialised licence between a landowner and another party. These usually run for a specific term of years and are more easily removable than Easements, which is why they are generally used for more easily accessible apparatus (such as overhead lines).