Fibrecity 'don't need permission to dig up roads and pavements'

The town is the first in the country to be turned into a Fibrecity, but there have been complaints about the disruption to residents and businesses.

Wessex Water is not allowing the original plan of feeding fibre optic cable through the sewers, which would have kept roadworks to a minimum.

Tony Williams, Bournemouth council’s executive director for environment and economy, confirmed: “Fibrecity is a utility company and therefore does not require statutory planning permission for the work.

“We will continue to work closely with the company to ensure that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. We hold regular progress meetings with their contractors to assess the standard of their work and state of the pavements.

“Improving the town’s roads and pavements is a priority and we are discussing how Fibre-city can support the council’s year-long Road Rescue campaign to improve the borough’s highways.”

Website reader M Clarke, Ringwood, said: “If Fibrecity can’t use the sewers as first planned then they shouldn’t be allowed to dig up our roads and pavements again, causing absolute mayhem.”

But Frogmarch2, Kinson, said he had been impressed when the workmen came to his road: “One team came and drilled, quickly followed by the cable layers, again quickly followed by the Tarmac team. The speed at which they worked could teach British Gas, South-ern Electric and the Water Board a thing or two.”

Ta2 Bournemouth stressed the importance of ultra-fast links for the national and local economy, claiming it could increase property values, while soapboxdave, Bournemouth, said: “Whether they have to dig pavements up or not, let’s just get it done.”

James 2010, resident of one of the first areas in Bournemouth to be connected by fibre optic cabling, said “Fibrecity is making Bournemouth one of the first fibre cities in the UK – that’s the main point. I now have a fantastic service.”