Permission to dig to clear blocked ducts

I wonder if anyone can help me please!

FTTP showed available to order recently. Put the order through. Few days later two openreach workers spent a few hours trying to pull cables through our ducts, only to find that there are blockages that need clearing. They've marked a white X on the cul de sac (small private road unadopted by council) where they need to dig - it's around 5M from my driveway.

The BT manhole cover is around 10M from my house, the block is around half way between the manhole and my drive/house. Openreach were able to bring the fibre to the manhole cover/duct already - it's just the final length to my house that's the issue.

I didn't hear back so called my ISP (EE) who advised that Openreach are trying to obtain permission to dig from the landowner. They gave me a name, which turned out to be the builder of the houses on the cul de sac, someone I know in person.

They had his address already, and I can only presume they'd been trying to send forms in the post. I gave them his email address and telephone number (the person is perfectly happy for me to do so).

I gave them another week, they advise they're not received a response through the post or via email. The person has not received a letter, email or phone call.

Where do I go from here? I cant call Openreach myself, neither can the 'landowner' (it's just a small tarmac cul de sac that 6 houses use).

I feel this is just going to led to my order being cancelled.

Edited by dave2150 (Thu 15-Jan-26 17:25:12)

As long as you have clear evidence of the that the person HAS responded to the enquiries from Openreach, then I would be sending an email to Openreach’s CEO’s office politely explaining the issue.

Google will give the CEO’s details

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

As long as you have clear evidence of the that the person HAS responded to the enquiries from Openreach, then I would be sending an email to Openreach’s CEO’s office politely explaining the issue.

Google will give the CEO’s details

I have evidence that the person hasn't received any contact from Openreach, whether that be letter, email or phone call. I've provided EE with all three (they had the name & address only originally).

Perhaps it's still worth me contacting the CEO with these details, in the hope that they can get things moving.

I have evidence that the person hasn't received any contact from Openreach

I meant more evidence that the permission has been sent to Openreach .

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

I have evidence that the person hasn't received any contact from Openreach

I meant more evidence that the permission has been sent to Openreach .

How can I obtain this? The person hasn't received a letter, phone call or email from Openreach. My ISP are told by Openreach that they have attempted contact.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

As long as you have clear evidence of the that the person HAS responded to the enquiries from Openreach, then I would be sending an email to Openreach’s CEO’s office politely explaining the issue.

Google will give the CEO’s details

Thank you so much for this suggestion. I just had the most promising reply from the CEO, less than 10 minutes after sending a detailed email with all the particulars.

I thought it must have been an AI/auto response - though it's got a "Sent from Outlook for iOS" message at the bottom and mentions a chief engineer for Wales by name who will review this for me, so I think it's an actual response from a human.

I'm seriously impressed!

Well I shall keep my fingers crossed for a resolution for you.

Please keep any progress updated on here, as this might help others.

In reply to a post by dave2150:

I thought it must have been an AI/auto response - though it's got a "Sent from Outlook for iOS" message at the bottom and mentions a chief engineer for Wales by name who will review this for me, so I think it's an actual response from a human.

I'm seriously impressed!

I have had a couple of contacts with CEO's office and they get things moving quickly. One was a fault and the other digging up the path next to my drive as there was no lead in from the duct to my drive. Good luck.

That’s not the chief engineer for Wales, it’s Andy Whale who is OpenReach’s chief engineer and sits on the board.

He is a top chap - I emailed the CEO a few years ago as my FTTPoD project was grinding to a halt and on the cusp of losing funding. Andy sent engineers round on a bank holiday weekend and the whole project was completed a few weeks later (including pulling cable through new ducts and commissioning the fibre for ten properties).

Good luck 😉

when things go badly wrong and where the system can't really resolve that route is sometimes the only route.

but as always use sparingly