Council and Virgin Media settle dispute over land access for broadband rollout

A dispute between broadband supplier Virgin Media and Durham County Council over land access has been settled.

Under the terms of the deal the company will have to pay only £1 for land access to the areas which were under dispute.

Virgin Media and Durham said their agreement had resolved any future discussions regarding the laying of fibre-optic cable in grass verges that run alongside public pathways across the county.   

The company, which is seeking through its Project Lightning programme to roll out ultrafast fibre broadband to up to 16,000 properties in Durham by the end of 2019, instigated legal proceedings in June in order to reach a court-imposed agreement under the updated Electronic Communications Code (ECC).

The reforms to the ECC were designed to speed up the rollout of broadband and mobile network upgrades.

Tom Mockridge, CEO of Virgin Media, said: “This agreement with Durham sets a much-needed precedent which will speed up broadband rollout and encourage investment. We hope that other local authorities and landowners now follow Durham’s example.

“Most importantly, this is fantastic news for the residents and businesses of Durham as we can now continue the good work we started with Durham Country Council and bring a real broadband boost to local communities across the county.”

Stuart Timmiss, Durham County Council’s head of planning and assets, said: “Following the reforms it was important that, as a local authority, we were able to test and understand the implications of the new code. Working closely with Virgin Media and our legal team we are happy to be able to move forward in ensuring our businesses and communities can benefit from superfast broadband.”

Virgin Media said that as a result of the agreement it had committed to expand the scope of its network rollout in Durham including to areas such as Consett and Bishop Auckland.