Do virgin media have permission to dig up my lawn??

[Claire51]

There's a virgin media manhole in my front garden..every time they need to access it for maintenance they dig up my grass and leave a big hole. Can they keep doing this without my permission? Can't they move the man hole to the pavement at the front of the house rather than my front garden?

[goslow · Accepted solution]

Do you know how the VM manhole came to be there in the first place?

Similar past topics on here have described past wayleave agreements, signed by previous home owners many years ago, which allowed the former cable TV companies to install cables. Some past topics have described manholes on what used to be grass service strips between pavements and homes, now taken over by homeowners with the VM infrastructure still in place.

Your property deeds should identify any past wayleave agreements with VM or its predecessors.

[Claire51]

Thank you will check the deeds - we only just bought the property.

[spell]

If there is no wayleave in place this would constitute trespass and criminal damage for which VM would be liable. If there is a wayleave in place as the new owner you need advice from probably the Citizens Advise Bureau in the first instance concerning either revoking the wayleave or arranging a suitable fee from VM.