Poles set to blight residential streets in Saddleworth – local Councillor and community fight back
Liberal Democrat Councillor Alicia Marland was recently contacted by residents from Bracken Close in Springhead who had objected to Openreach about their proposal to install telegraph poles on the Close after spotting posters placed on lampposts near their homes. Unfortunately their written and verbal complaints were being ignored so she contacted the local Openreach Engineers and held a community meeting about their plans and to give the residents an opportunity to air their views and concerns about the detrimental visual impact the poles would have.
Alicia said: “I am delighted that we were able to agree that Openreach would not put wooden poles up the length of the road but instead install the fibre via ducts in the pavement.”
One Bracken Close resident stated: “Residents have been led to believe we had control over the way faster fibre was to be delivered to our homes. However our written objections were ignored and telegraph poles would have been located outside our homes. However with the help of our local Councillor there will be no poles and the fibre install will now be installed via ducts.”
Another resident said: “The residents of Bracken Close came together to show unity and a strength of purpose in an endeavour to overturn a cost cutting and outdated plan to use 19th century infrastructure to secure a 21st century technology. This method would have left a blight on the topography of the Close for years to come.
“Our thanks go to Borough Councillor Alicia Marland for getting involved, for her input and using her ability to get into cracks residents could not reach.”
But on nearby Belmont Avenue, Springhead another community meeting took place but it was too late to stop Openreach installing the poles in several locations. Sue, a resident, stated “in August I was notified by a neighbour that a pole had been proposed for installation outside my home. I did not receive any notification other than a blank notice on a lamppost across the road but I wrote a complaint to Openreach but this was ignored. I wrote to my Councillor in Saddleworth North four times but I did not receive a reply. When I asked Councillor Alicia Marland to get involved she organised a meeting with Openreach but they completely disregarded our requests and the pole installation went ahead – we were treated disgracefully. The pole is now cluttered with lots wires and boxes and it impacts on every room in my house”.
If you spot any posters stating that Openreach are proposing to install a pole in your area and you wish to object, please do get in touch with Councillor Marland. As these poles are not subject to the usual planning conditions they can often go unnoticed and Openreach are not obliged to personally inform residents.
Councillor Marland can be contacted at alicia.marland@oldham.gov.uk