I have met with nearly 100 residents who are furious over continued problems with broadband installer brsk and the siting of unsightly telegraph poles.
I listened to local people at Withymoor Playing Fields on Saturday. Householders from Lakeside, Ravens Park and the Withymoor estate all came along. Local councillors Pete Lee and Kamran Razzaq were also there.
All are angry brsk continues to install the poles in inconvenient locations and without any community engagement.
The company’s actions are against the latest government advice.
In March the digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez wrote to installers telling them to share existing infrastructure and underground networks before making the decision to use telegraph poles.
“New telegraph poles should only be in cases where installing lines underground is not reasonably practicable, and only after ensuring that appropriate community engagement has taken place and that the siting of new infrastructure will not cause obstructions to traffic or unduly impact the visual amenity of the local area,” the minister said.
However, since then, brsk has continued to put up the poles and is now refusing to engage with me.
Better broadband is really important to Stourbridge but the way brsk continues to behave is unacceptable and is making a huge positive into a massive negative.
Residents were out in force on Saturday and telling me loud and clear they are fed up with these poles going up all over the place and I don’t blame them.
That the company will now not engage with me simply because I stand up for my constituents is unhelpful to say the least and it means I will have to consider the options available for me to ensure it does get in touch.
The government has been clear that installers must avoid poles if they can, use existing underground infrastructure and speak to residents. This is not happening in Stourbridge and it needs to change fast.
