Broadband company backs down over plans for poles and wires in Wollaston street
Residents in Wollaston are claiming a victory for 'people power' after a broadband provider backed down from a plan to install new telecom poles on their street.
More than 50 residents on Ridgewood Avenue signed a petition objecting to the plans by London based BRSK , which would have seen three new poles with overhead cables erected on the quiet residential street.
Residents gathered outside their houses recently with Wollaston and Stourbridge Town councillors Andrew Tromans and Cat Eccles present in a show of defiance against the scheme.
Now bosses at BRSK, have backed down in the face of public opinion and will meet with councillor Eccles next week to decide on a way forward in marketing their company.
Councillor Eccles said: "Over the last few weeks my inbox has been full of messages from residents who are upset that a company they aren’t familiar with are planning to put up telecoms poles in their street and in some cases right at the end of driveways.
"They were not meeting their statutory duties in relation to notifying residents about planned works and overall, there has been lack of consultation. Most people here already have broadband providers and those that don't, want to be able to have full consultation over any company's plans to move into the area
"As part of the Government’s digital roll out to provide every home with full fibre broadband, the entire network infrastructure is being upgraded over the next few years.
"BT Openreach manage the network nationally, but the government have given small third party companies the green light to help speed up the roll out.
"But BRSK use the outdated technology of telegraph poles and cluttering up streets with new cabling, poles and boxes. We will now meet with them to decide how to go forward with any future roll out plans in our areas."
Residents said they were a close knit community who came together to meet Bthe company and listen to their arguments but found there was absolutely no support for them. They said they were pleased the company had listened and hope they are true to their word in abandoning their plans for the street.
A spokesman for BRSK said: "Due to the community feedback, we have decided not to go ahead with the upgrade of the fibre network in the area. A letter will be dropped to all residents confirming this. As much as we believe in building for the future, we do take the concerns of residents seriously, hence our decision to remove the area from our plans."
