Openreach 'sidestepped' rules on installing new cables - Southport MP

Damien Moore, MP, claimed he had received information from an Openreach "whistleblower"

An MP has accused communications giant Openreach of "sidestepping" its own rules on overhead cables to install controversial telegraph poles.

Damien Moore, Conservative MP for Southport, raised the issue in the House of Commons earlier.

Residents in the neighbourhood recently took to the streets to try and halt the installation of the 9m poles.

Openreach said the poles were needed to upgrade the broadband network and alternatives were unviable.

Addressing a question to Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, Mr Moore referred to information he said he had received from a "whistleblower" within Openreach.

Mr Moore said the whistleblower alleged that Openreach had transitioned to installing overhead cables, instead of burying them underground, "on too many occasions" without consulting local residents and other relevant bodies.

"Regrettably, in my constituency of Southport, it would appear that Openreach has sidestepped its own procedures for gaining community agreement, disrespecting the will of local residents", he said.

Protestors halted the construction of 9m telegraph poles in Southport on Saturday

Mr Moore asked Ms Mordaunt to raise the issue with the relevant minister and she said she would do so.

He added: "It is imperative that we ensure Openreach's strict adherence to its own policies and legal responsibilities, particularly if those were taken into account when it was awarded the contract.

"I also urge the Leader of the House to urge the minister to put a pause on all activity by Openreach where it cannot be confirmed that it has adhered to its own policies and procedures."

On Saturday, a group of local protesters stood in the way of Openreach engineers in Southport's Wennington Road, eventually forcing the workers to pack up and leave.

The telegraph poles are intended to carry Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) cables, linking properties to the ultra-fast fibre optic broadband network.

Residents involved in protesting the scheme said they were not opposed to faster broadband, but believed the overground cables were unattractive, damaging to wildlife and less effective than their preferred option of underground cables.

In response, Openreach said: "We know some people feel strongly about poles and understand why.

"However, to say we haven't engaged with local residents is simply not true."

The firm said it had "engaged extensively" with residents and "explored every possible option for the build" and would "position any new poles sensitively".

"Wherever possible we use existing network to build our broadband upgrades but in Southport cables are mainly buried direct in the ground," it said.

"The scale and cost of civil engineering to install new underground ducts throughout the area just isn't viable and would involve months of road closures and disruptions."

It said that Southport's existing copper network was "increasingly unreliable", adding that halting this upgrade would "deprive thousands of other local people who want the new technology".