TalkTalk UFO install - access to telegraph pole?

I've got a TalkTalk UFO broadband installation date next Monday - this is the UFO service put in by FibreNation in various towns, not the Openreach FTTP service.

My question: there is quite frequently a work's van from an unknown neighbour (they store it there and walk a couple of streets away) parked on the footpath directly in front of my telegraph pole, preventing engineer access to the pole - a previous landline repair was unable to go ahead because of this f****** van.

When the street was dug by FibreNation and the fibre was put in earlier in the year, it appeared to go to the telegraph pole I'm connected to rather than to the individual properties on the street. I've been allowed to order at my address and given an estimated speed, so I assume I am able to connect to the service!

Will the engineer who comes to install my service require access to the pole in order to do the install? I'm a little worried that he will show up, say "I can't do the job because of that van" and clear off. (The installation is booked for 7-9am and the van normally leaves at 8-ish.) I've got university starting the following week and classes are largely online, which is why I've gone for the fibre.

Edited by deleted (Tue 15-Sep-20 09:53:23)

Only seen TalkTalk UFO installs that are underground before. So first that might be over a pole.

Is it possible to talk to van driver and request they leave space around pole for that day. As unknown a polite not under wiper blade explaining expecting possible work on pole from 7am that day.

Thanks, Andrew. I'll write a polite note explaining the situation - or see if I can catch him when he arrives home one day this week. It'd be very easy for the van driver not to obstruct the pole, it isn't a busy street and he could park a few metres back from it without an issue.

I'm not quite clear on what the installation is going to look like - they've run fibre under the street to each telegraph pole in the neighbourhood, and then up to the top of the poles. (In parts of town with terraced housing, they've done the more traditional "fibre to each property" thing, as far as I can tell, but this is an estate with semi-detached houses and gardens.)

When I booked the install, TalkTalk confirmed that Openreach (or their contractors) are doing it, so I assume they will run the fibre from the pole to the house, and then down the wall and in. It will have to either replace or be in addition to the existing copper wire (which I'm not bothered about keeping).

Sod's Law says in the van driver leaves it clear, someone else will park there. Let's hope not.

if the van driver leaves it clear, if the op has a car they can park there then move as required

And if they don't have a car ...
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Get a hi-vis sleeping bag quick 🥳

Or as many streets do, place wheelie bin with not attached in the spot when its empty.

Thanks, that's a good idea - I'll leave my car in the van driver's "spot" while he's out the day before, and shift it when the OR engineer arrives.

This Street View image - https://i.imgur.com/9tl1TCS.png - shows the pole issue. The van parks on the footpath directly in front of the pole, almost touching it (and completely blocking the footpath). This is the pole that has now had fibre run up to it and that my house is connected to.

How very selfish of the van driver.

I dare say it won’t help, but I believe there is legislation coming in to make any parking on pavements illegal.

There has definitely been an increase in "work's vans" (including Openreach!) parked/stored around residential areas over the past few years - I suspect some bean-counter has seen some kind of cost saving in having people take their van home at night rather than travelling to a base each morning to pick it up. This particular van is branded up with the name of a big national company (PHS Group).

It is a pain for everyone else, though - a lot of people don't have enough parking, and neighbourhoods are littered with the [censored] things.

Edited by deleted (Tue 15-Sep-20 18:07:22)