A group of determined Southport residents held a protest outside the Town Hall this morning, sending a clear message to Openreach: they will not accept the installation of telegraph poles in their community. The campaign, which began earlier this year, opposes Openreach's plans to erect poles across Southport to support its new Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) network, providing ultrafast fibre optic broadband to homes and businesses.
The protest follows mounting complaints from residents who view the poles as an unwelcome intrusion, aesthetically displeasing, and potentially damaging to wildlife. While many acknowledge the benefits of improved broadband access, they believe that Openreach should instead lay underground cables, offering a more aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly solution.
Sefton Council, inundated with complaints, previously called upon Openreach to halt its pole installation plans. Southport's former MP, Damien Moore, and newly elected Labour MP Patrick Hurley have also voiced their support for the campaign. On 16th July, Mr Hurley wrote to the Secretary of State, expressing concern over Openreach's "abuse of loopholes" in permitted development legislation.
He stated, âOur community has peacefully protested against the actions of Openreach, but this should not be necessary. In March, the previous minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure wrote to Openreach that new poles should only be installed where an underground line âis not reasonably practicable, and only after ensuring that appropriate community engagement has taken place.ââ
"Despite this intervention and considerable objections by residents," he continued, "Openreach has continued to press ahead with installing telegraph poles on our streets."
The issue lies within the permitted development rights (PDRs) granted under the Town and Country Planning Order 2015. This legislation allows for certain types of development without requiring planning permission or public consultation. As a result, Openreach has been able to proceed with its pole installation plans without seeking approval from Sefton Council's planning team.
Brian, a founding member of the anti-telegraph pole protest group, was present at the demonstration. "Openreach seemed to have backed off for a while, and it's been quieter so far this summer," he stated. "We've organised a protest today to demonstrate that the strength of feeling is still there amongst the residents. We want Openreach to know we are determined, and we are definitely not going away. The minute Openreach try and turn up on our streets again with any telegraph poles, we'll be there and we will make our voices heard."
A spokesperson for Openreach acknowledged the strong feelings of the Southport community, stating, âWe know that some people in Southport feel strongly about poles and understand why. For many months, our local team has engaged extensively with local residents and the council, even to the point of discussing the positioning for individual poles."
They also highlighted their recent community council meeting, stating, "Today we attended a community council meeting to update on our plans and invest a further £9m of funding to deliver full fibre broadband to tens of thousands more homes and businesses in the coming months and years. We discussed in detail how we plan and build our network, which can include citing new poles where it's seen as the most appropriate solution. Weâll also use existing duct or poles, where we can utilise our infrastructure in a way that adheres to planning regulations and keeps communities, and our engineers safe.â
It remains to be seen whether Openreach will reconsider its plans for telegraph poles in Southport in light of the continued community opposition. The situation underscores the importance of communication, consultation, and finding solutions that address both the need for improved broadband access and the concerns of local residents.
