Ten families without power for eight months

Ten families in a Kent village have spent eight months without mains electricity after a fault cut power to their homes.

Residents in Pilgrims Way, Wrotham, have depended on a diesel generator for heating and power since 23 June 2025, with security guards stationed to monitor it around the clock.

The outage centres on an underground transformer fault in a nearby field, but repairs have been delayed by an access dispute between UK Power Networks (UKPN) and a local landowner.

UKPN apologised for the disruption, adding that plans had been agreed to restore mains supply.

Nick Hawke, who lives in one of the affected properties, said life had been difficult with intermittent generator power.

"Due to the generator on the boundary of our land sometimes failing, there have been times when the flickering lights in our home have looked like a disco," he said.

UKPN said the fault related to cables running beneath land owned by Frank Ganley at Chalk Lodge.

Ganley said the company never had a wayleave – a voluntary contractual agreement between a private landowner and a third-party granting access permission on private land.

He claimed the situation had reduced his property's value because he cannot build on the strip.

Ganley, who has lived at the home for 20 years, said he was unaware of the underground cable until UKPN approached him last summer.

"I feel bullied and threatened by them continually telling me that I'll be taken to court if they don't give them access," he said.

"When I bought the property there was no mention of a leave of way and they haven't maintained the cable since it was put down a hundred years ago.

"There's tall trees grown over it now whose roots must've caused the damage."

He said that UKPN offered him £20,000 for a right of way, despite his home being valued at £2.6m.

"The amount of money they've offered me is derisory to gain access to the cable and put all their equipment on my driveway," he said.

"If I'd have known the cable was here, I would have never bought it as having a three-metre-wide strip that you can't even plant a bush on can take 10% off your house price.

"I feel sorry for those without mains electricity, but UKPN should take the cable round to their properties via the public highway.

"I've given in to their demands because I feel pressured into agreeing with them. I'm 83 years old and am being treated for cancer – I don't need the bother."

Councillor Harry Rayner, who represents Malling West on Kent County Council, has been campaigning for the families since last year.

"There is no reason why it should've taken as long as it has but I'm delighted for the residents that the campaigning that myself and Tom Tugendhat have undertaken has now come to fruition," he said.

Rayner added that "anything involving landowners and the way leave arrangements for utilities is invariably drawn out, particularly where the utilities allow their way leaves to expire".

UKPN said its team had worked with a landowner to gain access to repair an underground cable on privately owned land.

"Following a joint site meeting last month, plans to restore mains supplies were agreed and on Friday, we received the landowner's consent to proceed."

A UKPN spokesperson said repairs were due to start on 9 March and take approximately two weeks to complete.

They added: "We apologise for the disruption, and we will be writing to residents with an update."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.