I have been involved in a series of meetings and discussions concerning this issue since my election.
I am now in a position to update you as follows.
With respect to Queensgate (the estate opposite Lidl on Yarm Road), SBC have advised they are
prepared on this occasion to accept pavements with repairs, as opposed
to pristine ones, when adoption of the estate occurs, if it means
residents can access decent broadband. That is important
in convincing Bellway to let cabling occur, otherwise there may have
been financial costs in terms of making good afterwards, which they
perhaps wouldn't accept.
Virgin have advised that if they can get on to the estate
as part of the current phase two build and start cabling there, they
will then consider the commercial viability of moving over to cable
phase one too (if permitted).
The hold up has been persuading Bellway Yorkshire to let them on site.
There is now a meeting planned for next week between
Bellway and Virgin to discuss phase two access. I have given Virgin a
statement to share with Bellway at that meeting, stressing how important
this access is to me, and to Dr Paul, on behalf of residents.
I have also arranged a meeting with SBC officers to
discuss how we might change local Planning law so that in future when a
developer submits a planning application for a new estate in the
borough, access to cabling/broadband becomes a condition
of accepting the application. I don't think anyone wants to go through
this every time.
Finally I would encourage residents in Queensgate to register their
interest with Virgin so as to encourage them to make that shift over to
phase one in due course, as and when it becomes possible.
