Council seeking compensation from Virgin Media over delayed roadworks
By Cherry Wilson
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ANGER: Croydon Council says the completion of the road works has been delayed because Virgin Media didn't complete their part of the work on time CCRPM020610D 02
CROYDON Council is seeking compensation from Virgin Media after its alleged inaction delayed the finish date of roadworks by at least three months.
The council is looking to claim back some of the £30,000 it paid the company to carry out rewiring work at the junction of Whitehorse Lane and Park Road in Thornton Heath.
Roadworks are being carried out at the junction so it can be widened to allow the 130 bus service to be extended to Thornton Heath.
The council paid several utility companies the cost of rerouting their underground cables and the work was expected to be finished by March.
But it says the project is still ongoing due to the "failure" of Virgin Media to complete its part of the work on time.
Driver John Smith, who uses the junction on a regular basis, was shocked to discover the delay was allegedly down to the media company.
"I was incensed," he said. "You don't expect it of a big company. You would expect them to be on top of it.
"The roadworks are causing a major disruption. It's been going on for ages. It's a bombsite on the corner and it's very frustrating to be sitting in traffic all the time."
The council says it informed Virgin Media of the programme of work last autumn and tried to coordinate the timings to ensure everything was completed on schedule.
Due to the delay in Virgin Media doing its work, the council says it has meant other utility companies have had to reschedule their rerouting, which has pushed back the expected finish date.
A council spokesman said: "We are now seeking compensation for the delays which we believe are attributable to their lack of responsiveness."
Virgin Media insists, however, that its work was completed within a two-week agreed time frame but there were delays in the planning process, which it claims was down to the council.
A spokeswoman added: "The council had not informed a third party of our plans. In addition, the third party then went on to damage our cable ducting which required further remedial work.
"Otherwise, we were satisfied with the way the work was carried out and we maintained good contact with the council throughout."
3 Comments
by Anon, croydon
Saturday, June 05 2010, 1:37AM
“Soon as I hear the name virgin media, i have to laugh. They took over from telewest, and omg what a parlova i have had already with them.”
by Paul Meoff, Purley
Friday, June 04 2010, 11:22PM
“Virgin really have dug a hole for themselves with this. lets hope the council get to the bottom of it”
by Mike, Ex Croydon
Friday, June 04 2010, 12:27PM
“Virgin need to look into the way they plan work, in my part of the country they visited a "newly built" street and sold packages to the new householders promising a quick connection even though they had not "cabled" up the street so 8 weeks after people signed up to the packages they were not connected and an elderly lady living on her own had no landline and was struggling with a mobile and if it had not been for some one contacting our local radio station who took up the case they might still have been waiting.”