A COUNCILLOR is demanding action in Pershore after months of fibre-optic cable installs have left footpaths damaged and uneven.
Pershore’s Dan Boatright-Greene, of Worcestershire County Council, has called on multiple companies to fix their ‘inconsistent’ work which has begun to frustrate disgruntled residents.
Residents are experiencing ‘repeated disruption’ as multiple companies dig up channels in footpaths to lay down their cables.
Airband, AllPoints Fibre, Full Fibre and Virgin Media’s contractor NexFibre have all been urged to put right their pavement resurfacing which is both an eyesore and potentially dangerous.
Councillor Boatright-Greene welcomes the upgrades to Pershore’s broadband network but says more needs to be done to allow residents to ‘get in and out of their homes without tripping over holes in the ground’.
“The standard of the work has been inconsistent and is costing the council time and money chasing companies to put the work right.
“At the same time, we have pavements that have been dug into multiple times, which will lead to water getting into the cracks and the surface degrading faster,” he added.
While fibre-optic cable installs are taking place, overhead wires are often being installed by other companies.
The councillor believes the companies should chip in together to resurface the pavements they have worked on whilst planning in future to further minimise the impacts on residents.
He said: “At the end of the day, this will save everyone money and time.”
Coun Boatright-Greene has invited all four companies to a meeting to discuss their plans in a bid to try and get them work together.
