Openreach UK Restarts FTTP Broadband Build in Fuel Leak Hit Bramley

Network operator Openreach has today revealed that their engineers, alongside those of other alternative networks, are now resuming efforts to both maintain their existing network in the village of Bramley (Surrey) and to deploy new full fibre broadband (FTTP) infrastructure. Much of this was stopped a few years ago after the seriousness of a local petrol leak became clear.

Just to recap. Openreach and others have spent the past few years dealing with the “significant and ongoing impact” of the incident (here), which technically began 6 year ago after fuel started leaking from a local ASDA Petrol Station (the leak started under a different owner). But the full impact of this wasn’t fully appreciated until later. Over the course of that time the leak has begun to cause fuel smells in the area, harming local businesses, and has also spread into the groundwater (i.e. disrupting the drinking of tap water in certain areas) and even local utility services.

Suffice to say that a huge cross-sector operation was launched a few years ago to clear up the dangerous pollution and, much as we first reported in June 2025 (here), this has made significant progress over the past 18 months. The progress means that Openreach has now implemented softer local restrictions, which allows engineers to re-start running new fibre via existing cable ducts and conduct other work.

The network operator’s own FTTP build is thus “expected to begin in the coming weeks” (it was first announced in 2021 but got disrupted by the fuel leak), although local engineers will still be expected to follow special safety measures (e.g. wearing protective gear, carrying gas detectors and monitoring oxygen levels where nitrogen has been deployed etc.).

Andy Whale, Openreach’s Chief Engineer, said:

“This has been a really frustrating situation for residents and businesses in Bramley, but we now see some light at the end of the tunnel. We want to turn a bad situation good by not just repairing and restoring the damaged network that exists today, but by building something much faster, more reliable and longer lasting.

This Full Fibre upgrade is a long-term investment in Bramley’s future, supporting local people and businesses to move on from the disruption with a network they can rely on for decades. We hope it’ll help the local community and economy to recover, grow and thrive in a digitally connected future.”

Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Hunt, MP for Godalming and Ash, said:

“I’m delighted to support Openreach’s investment in Bramley. These upgrades recognise Openreach’s support for the wider Bramley community which is recovering from a very tough couple of years with the fuel leak.

Openreach’s ongoing commitment to Bramley is commendable and I would like to offer my personal thanks for the service the team have provided to address and resolve significant consequences of the fuel leak – a situation not of their making. Openreach enabling access to reliable and high-speed internet will bring substantial benefits to both residents and local businesses – this really is brilliant news for Bramley!

The new roll-out expects to cover 2,500 premises in the community, which is home to a population of around 3,600. But it should be said that the area isn’t yet completely safe (the clear-up is ongoing) and so engineers will have to work with some caution, which may make the effort go a bit slower than usual (no completion date was given for the roll-out).

Once again, it’s very important to stress just how serious and dangerous this situation has been and continues to be, both for local residents and the engineers who are trying extremely hard to resolve an incredibly challenging problem. Openreach has until now been maintaining connectivity in the area through a combination of remote fault fixes, temporary satellite hubs at key community locations, and alternative network solutions.

The operator has warned that it reserves the right to reintroduce stricter measures if the current situation changes.