There's a Bonga at the Bottom of the Road
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GridLine Newsletter for National Grid Company grantors Winter 2002/2003 There’s a Bonga at the bottom of the road The huge floating oil and gas production vessel Bonga gives the residents of Wallsend something to talk about after its trip up the Tyne. Full story on Page 4 PHOTO: NORTH NEWS Safety tops list AFETY is given the highest priority “We are working with our contractors harvesters which have received some Sby National Grid. The company is to enhance working relationships and attention in the farming press. investing millions of pounds to try to improve safety and we want our culture “These machines are much larger than ensure an injury-free workplace. of safety to include all of our 19,000 or so anything we have seen to date, and It has also set up special Safety, Health grantors. although they may in the main be used and Environment teams made up of “Our own wayleave staff are always willing by contractors, we felt that this was an representatives from a cross-section of to assist grantors find the right solution to appropriate time to reinforce the safety the business who are dedicated to safety issues and our partners, the Farm message.” creating a safer environment. Energy Centre, offers advice to help farmers A new safety leaflet, giving electrical “But our concern for improved safety and growers run a safe operation.” clearance advice, is currently being performance goes beyond the company A current concern, said David, is the produced by National Grid and will be walls,” said David Warner, National Grid’s introduction into the UK of some of the distributed to grantors and agricultural wayleaves head (South). latest types of combine and forage contractors shortly. 2 NEWS NEWS 3 Don’t Experts at the ready to pick up your call Standard miss out ATIONAL Grid’s new and highways authorities — and laid down NWayleaves Enquiry Centre is overseeing something like up, running — and at your 100,000 enquiries a year from on your service. Team leader Richard third parties. Third parties may on doing Walsh with Wayleaves The centre is based at the be major developers, local Enquiry Centre staff, company’s Hams Lane offices authorities or utilities that might from left, Amy Jones, business payments at Coleshill near Birmingham need to establish the presence Janet Price and and it offers a helpline — 0800 of National Grid equipment, and NATIONAL Grid has unveiled ARE YOU receiving the Carolyn Harvey. 389 5113 — to give information appropriate safety advice. its new framework for the appropriate wayleave Missing from the to grantors about wayleave Getting the right helpline team way it conducts business. payments from National picture are Martyn payments. together has been an important It was developed, with the Grid? Blakeley and Helen The launch of the centre this part of launching the Wayleaves help of its employees in the “No grantor should ever Metcalfe summer is part of the move to Enquiry Centre. “We have been UK and United States and miss out on payments due to rationalise the wayleave function fortunate to recruit people with a more than 2,000 external them,” said David Warner, across the country and wealth of varied experience, people from a variety of wayleaves head (South). “So establish best practice so that from overhead line work and backgrounds, including if you’ve just bought land everyone — National Grid and wayleaves, to degree-level rural government, pressure crossed by National Grid its grantors — can benefit from enterprise and land groups, media, investors, power lines, then telephone a more efficient and streamlined management training. All five customers and the central helpline 0800 389 service. helpline assistants have a regulators. 5113 or talk to your local genuine interest in people and The Framework for wayleave officer. But in no way does the centre replace or compete with the role the countryside,” said Richard. Responsible Business “Every year we have large of wayleave staff out in the field, “Backed by such a strong and ensures that sustainable numbers of cheques says the centre’s team leader sympathetic team of people who development becomes fully returned because they are Richard Walsh. really do understand grantors’ integrated into the made out to the wrong “Far from it,” he said. “It is “Previously, grantors had to Management System (WIMS) quality systems teams as well as as an IT contractor at National problems, the centre is ready, company’s day-to-day person,” said David. intended to complement the take up any payment issues with was rolled out. This new wayleave administrative staff. Grid House on a number of IT willing and able to sort out business, and it is centred on “To help us save time — work of the wayleave staff — their own wayleave officer or National Grid grantor database Richard is a BSc Geography projects. payment queries quickly and the goals of sustainable and ensure that payments allowing them to maintain close area office. These queries were contains up-to-date information graduate from Coventry He took over his present role efficiently.” growth, profits with reach the appropriate person relationships with their then referred to someone else to about National Grid equipment, University and a 1998 MA in March this year, and his other ● 0800 389 5113 operates responsibility and investing in — it would be enormously grantors, dealing with local deal with. Now things are more grantors, and where cheques graduate in International responsibilities include dealing during normal working hours. But the future. helpful if grantors could let issues, while the helpline staff efficient — grantors can just dial should be sent to. Relations from the University of with the company’s obligations there is an answering service. James Ross, National Grid us know about change of take care of enquiries about the helpline number.” The Hams Lane offices also Warwick. After seeing service in under the New Road and Street Just leave a clear message and Transco deputy chairman, ownership.” payments or ownership The centre opened just after houses National Grid’s planning the Royal Navy, working in Works Act 1991 — liaising with contact number and one of the says: “Laying the foundations changes. the new Wayleave Information and performance, and business supply and logistics, he worked local utilities, local authorities, team will get back to you. for the future is essential if we are to be a long-term business. Delivering Transco shareholder value is a very important part of this. merger New recruits join wayleave teams out in the field “We believe this value is based not only on the financial returns we provide, complete A NUMBER SANDRA STEVENS PAUL GANLEY ALISON WILLIAMS PAUL SAGE but also on the way in which of new Wayleave Warden (South) Wayleave Wayleave Warden (South) Wayleave Officer (South) we treat the environment, our Warden (North) employees and the NATIONAL Grid has appointments There is nothing Sandra Alison’s experience with National Grid is Paul, 43, was born and communities in which we completed its merger with have enjoys more than pulling on Paul’s new role standing her in good stead as a brought up in Essex and operate.” Lattice Group, owner of strengthened her wellies and getting out has brought him wayleave warden. has spent all his working ● The Framework for Transco, to become the into the countryside. down to earth. For the past five years, she has life in the electricity industry National Responsible Business can be largest investor-owned utility So she is delighted to have For the past worked as section co-ordinator in — he joined Eastern Grid’s accessed on the National Grid in the UK and a leading left her desk job as a wayleave 16 years, he has Overhead Lines in the south-east, a role Electricity as a trainee wayleave Transco Group website — international energy delivery administrator and taken to the open road. worked as an overhead linesman, that has involved regular contact with wayleave staff. draughtsman at 16. www.ngtgroup.com — which company. team, but is delighted to join the He moved to the Central Electricity Sandra, who was born and brought up in “It’s good to have the opportunity to work within the also features the company’s underlining wayleaves team —it has been his Generating Board’s Anglian Region in 1985 The new company, National Gloucestershire, spent many years as a senior wayleave team, and I am looking forward to a new first group-wide sustainability the ambition for some time. as an overhead line surveyor and public Grid Transco, owns and PA to directors in the civil service and challenge and building and maintaining the relationships performance report. operates the high-voltage company’s construction industry. She joined National “It’s a different work culture, with the grantors,” she said. utilities street works engineer, responsible This year’s UK Social and electricity transmission Grid as a “temp” in wayleaves in 1994, but one I know I am going to “I will be staying in close contact with my former for issuing safety guidance to third parties. commitment Environmental Performance network in England and becoming permanent wayleave administrator enjoy,” he said. colleagues within Overhead Lines as most of my new to its “When I joined the wayleave team this Report (SENSE) has also Wales, and Britain’s natural four years later. duties will be connected with overhead line work.” grantors. Paul, 38, who has a young son, summer, I found that one of my new recently been published. It gas transportation system. Meet the “From 2000-2001, I worked as a temporary was brought up in the Midlands Kent-born Alison, 30, who is married with a 17- colleagues was Brian Mead — he and I represents the contribution wayleave warden,” said Sandra.