ANGRY people living on an estate said they are "up in arms" about plans to install "eyesore" poles for fast fibre broadband.
Scores of people on the Westacre estate in Droitwich have signed a petition against the installation of fast fibre broadband.
Residents are concerned about the new installation of poles ruining the look of the area, and there is also confusion as to why it cannot be installed underground.
Caroline Moore, a resident living on Ledwych Road, said: “It feels like an invasion – it’s going to be an eyesore – we are not happy.”
So far, the petition has racked up 76 signatures.
Consultation for the installation ended on December 30, but residents feel as though they did not receive enough time considering it was around the festive season and World Cup.
Derek Sutton decided to set up the petition after speaking to his fellow residents on the estate, who were “up in arms” with the installation.
He said: “It’s like banging your head against a wall.
“I have lost so much sleep over it, thinking, could I do this, or that and at one point, I thought I would have to give this in.”
Mr Sutton added that residents are happy to have better broadband but not the poles.
Cllr John Hartley has been working with the residents on the issue.
“It is important to note that because an act went through parliament, these utilities do not need planning permission.
“It takes away control from the residents and the councils – proper consultation is important.”
A spokesperson for Full Fibre Heroes said: “We are working hard to bring full fibre broadband to Droitwich, to future-proof the town for generations to come and ensure it remains a popular place to live and work.
“However, we are aware that with this upgrade comes a level of disruption and change.
“It is genuinely really important to us that we listen to any reservations or questions that residents have, and this is why we write out individually to residents to see if we can make the positioning of new poles less impactful.
“We have endeavoured to design our build with the minimum impact on the local area, however, it is not always possible to avoid the deployment of poles, and we, therefore, want to ensure that we work with residents to minimise the visual impact as far as we technically can”.
The consultation date for full fibre has been extended from December 30, 2022, to January 16, 2023.
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