Residents of a Rossendale community are furious over broadband masts recently installed in the town. Abi Cadogan lives in Horncliffe Close and says a number of broadband installations are popping up in her area.
He says the family, who had lived in London, returned to Rossendale for scenic views, which were now ruined by the not-so-natural bollards. Speaking to LancsLive, Abi said: “That’s the reason we moved to Rossendale and they’ve just bought it. I mean it’s absolutely huge and I can’t believe they don’t even need planning permission.
“The council is talking to me and they can’t do anything about it. It’s just a free-for-all.”
Abi, who lives in a close-knit community, says her neighbors were neither informed nor asked about the installation of the pole. He says many elderly neighbors are upset about the “horrible 15ft pole”.
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Abi also recalls that his neighbor was refused planning permission for a two-storey house on the grounds that the proposed development would “obscure our view”. He adds: “There’s a huge pole outside now.
“What’s the logic? I really don’t understand how this is a problem. That house would take up less space and less view than this huge pole with wires attached to it. It’s frustrating.”
brsk, the company behind poles, is a high-speed fiber broadband provider for the UK. While they argue that the installation of the masts is to provide a full fiber network for the areas where they are placed, residents across the country have called for their removal.
“My children, frankly, we shed so many tears that everyone is very sad,” Abi said. “It really feels like they stole some of the sky. We’d sit and look out the window and you could see the whole hill. You could see the halo and the whole profile of the landscape. You can’t do that anymore because there’s something so big in front of you.”
Another concern of Abi’s is the impact of the pole on house prices in the future. He explained: “One of the key selling factors was the view, which will probably affect my house prices. Other people will want my view, but otherwise not without a big pole.”
A spokesman for Brsk said: “As one of the UK’s fastest growing full fiber broadband providers, Brsk is fully committed to the Government’s mandate to deliver nationwide gigabit broadband services by 2030. This mandate only requires existing broadband infrastructure to be upgraded by 2030.” full fiber – the fastest and most reliable type of broadband available.
“Currently, full fiber broadband is available in only around 60%* of homes in the country, with residents historically being misled into believing the option they currently have is the most advanced option – but not all options advertised as fiber are full fibre. These upgrades are Therefore, it is important to serve current and future generations and to ensure that services are fit for the future for everyone.
“Our network is built within and on top of existing telecommunications infrastructure using the Openreach PIA (Physical Infrastructure Access) Product, under Code Authorizations granted by OFCOM. However, sometimes existing infrastructure may be inadequate for us to service some facilities and in these cases we must develop the infrastructure to provide services to all residents.” It is necessary.
“Erection of poles where required is widely used in industry and is generally considered the most effective and environmentally friendly option for improving infrastructure. A large amount of infrastructure may already exist underground, leaving no room for new infrastructure.”
“Ditching trenches is not only extremely destructive, but can also create significant risks to other on-ground services, such as water and electricity, leaving residents without them during repairs. Masts are placed where they will cause the least damage. Disruptions to residents and our process of interaction with residents who may be affected Direct communication is established via .
“Specific mast works to specific houses likely to be attached near the telegraph pole were carried out in early March this year, and communications sent to local councilors were also carried out. This was followed by letters sent to all residents in early April, describing our construction process and our intention to commence the works.
“Having full fiber broadband in an area has been proven to increase the value of homes, which you can find reference here. We’re proud to be making Rossendale one of the best digitally connected areas in the country ahead of the national deadline, and to provide residents with access while many parts of the country patiently wait their turn.” to create the opportunity to benefit from world-class broadband.”