Council to take Openreach to court over roadworks
PAA council is to take telecommunications giant Openreach to court over roadworks carried out without a permit.
Wiltshire Council is angry that the broadband infrastructure firm did not seek permission to close Weymouth Street, Warminster, in September and October 2024.
It said the road was closed in both directions during the work, and it has also complained about similar incidents on two other county roads.
The allegations are to be heard by Swindon magistrates on July 1. Openreach denies a total of seven charges.
Openreach, which is owned by BT, has been contacted for comment by the BBC.
The authority also claims the firm carried out work on the A350 at Semley, near Shaftsbury, and on the A30 at Barford St Martin, near Wilton, without a permit, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Cllr Martin Smith, the council's cabinet member for highways, confirmed: "Our network management team has initiated prosecution proceedings against Openreach in relation to three separate incidents where roads were closed without securing the required permission from the highway authority.
"As this is an active legal case, we are unable to comment further at this time."
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