Eager cable farmers have finished digging, the councilor is fed up

You see it happening in many places. After the arrival of cable layers, the brand new paving rarely looks as it was originally intended. Paving stones that have not been put back into the correct context or have sunk in the road.

Councilor Thomas Melisse has had enough. To prevent even more frustration among residents, commercial companies eager to dig will no longer be allowed to dig in the Halderberg land until 2029. He decided this with the mayor and aldermen.

Applications that have already been submitted for this decision are ‘thoroughly weighed for usefulness and necessity’, says Melisse. The municipality makes exceptions for utility companies, such as Brabant Water and Enexis.

According to the councilor, cable companies often install new networks without knowing exactly how many residents or companies will use them in the first place. The cable companies want to quickly claim an area and get ahead of the competitors. He is now putting a stop to that.

Another problem is that network operators must also share their cables with other companies according to European rules. That almost never happens in practice. They prefer to roll out their own network because they believe it is cheaper. “They forget how much inconvenience this causes for people, entrepreneurs and companies,” says Melisse. The bill for the repair work will go directly to the cable companies.

The municipality may not refuse applications, but the ‘rest of the time’ does buy more time to better coordinate various activities under the paving. The municipality also hopes that new companies will even skip Halderberge for the time being or prepare better, so that less digging is required.

All pedestrian and cycle paths in Halderberge must be in good condition before the end of next year. “We want to give the paths a higher quality, so that everyone can walk and cycle through the municipality safely, comfortably and without irritation,” Melisse concludes.