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Unfortunately, when it comes to installation of cable services into flats, things get complex legally.
Any service provider running a new service, be it a cable, or pipe, to a property needs a wayleave (legal right) from the land owner to do this. That's easy for houses, as the homw owner is normally the freeholder. With flats, there are a number of leaseholders who each have to give consent. and the freeholder of the property too. Additionally, the property has to be suitable to installation of cable, i.e. there are appropriate routes for the cable to take. Thus, even where there is a nice green cabinet on the road outside the flat, cable cannot necesarily be installed.
Time and time again we've seen posts from users frustrated by the lakc of coherent strategy for cable installs to flats. It seems that the front line sales staff can't get the back room departments to give clear yes or no. Meanwhile the potential customer gets frustrated. The answer we have frequently got is this needs a site survey to investigate the installation practicality, plus the consents from everybody.
The combined effort of that has frequently been too much for the old ntl:telewest. Whether this will start to change with the Virgin Media rebrand we wait and see.