It's my understanding that the Whaley Lane duct is the common factor that is delaying FTTC for Irby.
But then again, I could be wrong. This is symptomatic of the entire experience of dealing with Openreach. You're left to scour forums, hope for crumbs of info from helpful 'insiders' etc.
It bugs me that I pay the same monthly line rental to BT as other towns do that have had FTTC for 3 years or more.
/cry baby face.
Yes I do believe the ducting in Whaley Lane is most likely an issue, but as I have pointed out OpenReach will only deal with service providers - the Government of the day ensured that BT was split & making its service arm for BB & phones infrastructure a separate entity in the interests of competition .
As it says on Openreach website
'We were created to give communications providers equal access to the wires and fibres that connect us all, and to maintain and improve this infrastructure, which underpins the entire UK communication industry."
So we have no way of influencing or getting info of any substance from them, other than thru our service providers by requesting High Speed BB, on forums, insiders or our MP

.
How on earth can Openreach gauge interest in Superfast BB in an area to warrant investment & return, clearly the Government have set aside money, the EU & local Government for it, but the service providers are not asking us the end users if we would like Superfast BB, as far as I know , so its a chicken & egg situation .
I also have issues over having to pay one provider for Broadband & BT for phone, but I will not change until we get Superfast BB in Spring fingers x'd