In reply to a post by BLaZiNgSPEED:

You mean the leaseholder of your flat where you're living in who is renting it out?
If it is the leaseholder (landlord) then he/she is still powerless to do anything about it. My parents are leaseholders here but the management is EastendHomes.

In my case it doesn't matter that we pay them service charge or whether my parents own the flat. Wayleave can't be individually granted for specific flats only. It has to be granted for the entire residential building!

This is also one reason why Openreach FTTP on Demand (FTTPoD) does not work for MDU buildings. Because even if you paid Openreach they still can't install without the permission of the landowner/building owner.

If you know your management company and know who is the housing estate officer or technical services manager then contacting them would be more useful. Also, they may be organising leaseholders meetings every 1-3 months in your local estate office. Attending those meetings and raising those concerns can be helpful.

Speaking with your neighbours can also be helpful since I am sure they will want FTTP as well. Of-course if you are still waiting for the first FTTP provider then it is difficult to say, which provider will be granted permission. I'd still be ready to welcome whatever is being offered as it will be better than nothing.

As for the multiple FTTP networks (should it become available), you won't have to worry about the number of equipment going into your flat. If for example, you chose only Openreach FTTP then only Openreach FTTP ONT and its fibre drop cable will enter your flat. If you only separately order in future another Altnet only then you will be having the multiple ONT equipment and fibre cables entering your flat.

For example, Community Fibre is available here last 2 years. I haven't yet joined them as for some reason I have been happy with BT FTTC last 3 years. Because I didn't order their service yet the fibre cable does not yet enter inside our flat and I don't have an ONT yet! But if I did order only then an engineer will come to visit our flat and install the fibre drop cable and ONT.

Yes sorry landlord means the lease holder, John Lewis owns it. The area is leasehold. They’re the landlord and have to grant the wayleave.

In reply to a post by squarecrumpets:

Yes sorry landlord means the lease holder, John Lewis owns it. The area is leasehold. They’re the landlord and have to grant the wayleave.

Isn't it the freeholder who has to grant the wayleave? don't think the leaseholder has the rights?

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

Isn't it the freeholder who has to grant the wayleave? don't think the leaseholder has the rights?

As a flat leaseholder (lessee) myself, it is the freeholder, often known as the "building owner". They may also be the lessor (the one that grants the lease) unless have delegated that to a management company.

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by squarecrumpets:

Yes sorry landlord means the lease holder, John Lewis owns it. The area is leasehold. They’re the landlord and have to grant the wayleave.

Isn't it the freeholder who has to grant the wayleave? don't think the leaseholder has the rights?

My goodness I'm so confused, they're the freeholder not the leaseholder. And it's no longer John Lewis, the freehold has been purchased by another company.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

Isn't it the freeholder who has to grant the wayleave? don't think the leaseholder has the rights?

As a flat leaseholder (lessee) myself, it is the freeholder, often known as the "building owner". They may also be the lessor (the one that grants the lease) unless have delegated that to a management company.

Yes I meant to say freeholder, sorry my bad.

So, if you know who is the freeholder who took over from John Lewis but you don't know who bought it off John Lewis. I'm sure your landlord will know who the freeholder is since he/she is paying service charge.

Don't you get letters with service charge statements through your letterbox? Maybe these letters are confidential but that will have the information on who the freehold owner is since the yearly service charges are being paid to them. It will have their logo printed in those letters.

Through this you can find out more information on the management contact details. You can also then check other buildings managed by the same freeholder whether they have a build plan for FTTP or any other Altnet.

For example, does it show "Build planned between now and Dec-2026" for all buildings or just your building? This is important as this can give you an indication whether a wayleave has been agreed.

Normally speaking, if a wayleave is granted for your building then wayleave will apply for the remaining buildings managed by the same freeholder as well!

Now with Netomnia if it is saying "Planning stage" then it means they are interested in your area. In my case it shows "Not planned" so this means they aren't interested to build in my area even if wayleave was granted.

For example, in one of the buildings where we rent out it shows for Hyperoptic 3. Building Permission granted "We have an agreement to proceed with our installation for your building." it has been that way for a good few years now. But they only have Community Fibre and build plan for Openreach FTTP December 2026.

But for me of-course it shows 2. We are rolling out in your area and it will say it needs permission from the freeholder or property manager.

Obviously this can be generic but it also can give an idea where a provider shows interest but isn't yet getting the permission to install. In my case I know this since I am a registered Hyperoptic Champion for my building and I know that the Hyperoptic representative has indeed tried on multiple occasions to speak to my management who downright refused Hyperoptic. Management even admitted to me that they are fed-up of their phone calls but still remain stubborn. Never did I know the reason for it despite getting my 30+ neighbours of the building involved in registering their interest.

But it all depends. Your management may be more compliant than mine and might respect the registered interests. But this alone may not be enough if the management still ignores the wayleave request. The only difference this will make is draw the attention of the Altnet or wholesale network provider to look into building in your premise.

In reply to a post by BLaZiNgSPEED:

So, if you know who is the freeholder who took over from John Lewis but you don't know who bought it off John Lewis. I'm sure your landlord will know who the freeholder is since he/she is paying service charge.

Don't you get letters with service charge statements through your letterbox? Maybe these letters are confidential but that will have the information on who the freehold owner is since the yearly service charges are being paid to them. It will have their logo printed in those letters.

Through this you can find out more information on the management contact details. You can also then check other buildings managed by the same freeholder whether they have a build plan for FTTP or any other Altnet.

For example, does it show "Build planned between now and Dec-2026" for all buildings or just your building? This is important as this can give you an indication whether a wayleave has been agreed.

Normally speaking, if a wayleave is granted for your building then wayleave will apply for the remaining buildings managed by the same freeholder as well!

Now with Netomnia if it is saying "Planning stage" then it means they are interested in your area. In my case it shows "Not planned" so this means they aren't interested to build in my area even if wayleave was granted.

For example, in one of the buildings where we rent out it shows for Hyperoptic 3. Building Permission granted "We have an agreement to proceed with our installation for your building." it has been that way for a good few years now. But they only have Community Fibre and build plan for Openreach FTTP December 2026.

But for me of-course it shows 2. We are rolling out in your area and it will say it needs permission from the freeholder or property manager.

Obviously this can be generic but it also can give an idea where a provider shows interest but isn't yet getting the permission to install. In my case I know this since I am a registered Hyperoptic Champion for my building and I know that the Hyperoptic representative has indeed tried on multiple occasions to speak to my management who downright refused Hyperoptic. Management even admitted to me that they are fed-up of their phone calls but still remain stubborn. Never did I know the reason for it despite getting my 30+ neighbours of the building involved in registering their interest.

But it all depends. Your management may be more compliant than mine and might respect the registered interests. But this alone may not be enough if the management still ignores the wayleave request. The only difference this will make is draw the attention of the Altnet or wholesale network provider to look into building in your premise.

Hello,

Thanks for sharing so much info and your personal experience.

Yes the new Freeholder is Zeta GR Limited. They are happy to help. In fact, they offered to speak to any FTTP provider we want them to speak with.

So back to Openreach, the SDU homes to the left and right of my block of flats on the same street have just been provided Openreach FTTP, i.e. they are able to apply now. For my block it says Build planned between now and Dec-2026, it previously said Build planned between now and Dec-2025 so not sure what this means. Does this mean they still need wayleave?

Thanks again.

Since Zeta GR Limited are happy to speak to any FTTP provider then that should suggest that they are happy to grant wayleave and aren't trying to avoid the subject matter.

Are those SDU homes near your block of flats also managed and owned by Zeta GR Limited? If they are then there is indeed a real hope of you getting upgraded.

The delay from 2025 to 2026 may not always necessarily mean that they are still waiting for wayleave with the management. It could be some other obstacle near the street or some other complication that needs resolving. Maybe they need to survey and examine your building to see the route from, which the cables will travel.

The existing copper cables don't always follow the same line when Fibre is being built.

Have a look at https://bidb.uk/ and enter your postcode there you will see the map nearby with dotted colours. These colours show the roadworks on the map for different ISPs. If you then click on those dots it will give you a description of the fibre provider with the calendar date schedules.

Sometimes these can be delayed or not necessarily mean that those works are exactly applying for your building. But if you do see any scheduled works with their timings you may find engineers working near your street, you can ask them whether they are rolling out Fibre for your building.

For example, in my case I saw 2 years ago Community Fibre engineers installing near my street and just before the service did go live they were working inside my building and I saw them installing fibre cables. Few months ago I saw the same with Virgin Media following the wayleave agreement with my management. But they rolled out to several buildings near me managed by same housing estate but haven't yet completed in my building. Initially it showed as live for VM but few days later it disappeared. I guess they didn't complete the works fully.

Every once in a while if you look at the road works you may find new work schedules and that should give you an idea when the service will come to your building.