Otley’s MP Alex Sobel has received an abundance of complaints following the installation of cable broadband by Virgin media into the town.
Alex said “Residents are concerned with the state that roads and pavements have been left in around Otley”
One resident has expressed the following concerns to me “I am surprised at the amount of surface damage to the road and pavement due to the equipment that was used and that no repairs have been carried out so far”
Alex added that “Whilst MPS do not have any jurisdiction over private companies and cannot instruct them to act, I will always try and represent constituent concerns”
“I have therefore requested a meeting with Virgin Media to discuss the issues or at the very least have some form of correspondence from the company to assure my constituents that the situation will be resolved, unfortunately to date I have not received any response to my request”
“Whilst it is great news that Otley now has cable broadband, which will be beneficial to local businesses and home workers, utility companies have an obligation to reinstate roads, paths, verges etc to a certain standard”
The Department of Transport set out standards in the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways, which also covers footpaths, cycleways, and verges.
The latest document (4th edition) was published in 2020 and states:
‘To make sure services operate reliably, utility companies must, from time to time, maintain, repair and install apparatus under our roads. Given the impact these works can have on the travelling public, it is important that they are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible. At the same time, utilities have to reinstate the roads to certain standards to ensure they do not shorten their life or create uneven running surfaces.’
Mr Sobel said he will continue to address the issue with Virgin Media to ensure compliance with the above has or will been met.