Broadband poles 'desecrating' Willersey, say residents

Villagers have been protesting against the new broadband poles

The installation of large wooden poles to support high-speed broadband internet cables is "desecrating" a Cotswold village, say residents.

Villagers are unhappy with plans to place 15 39ft (11.8m) high poles in Willersey, near Broadway.

Resident Mark Bridgeman said the poles are unnecessary, as an underground network was installed three years ago.

Network provider, Full Fibre Ltd, said: "We continually strive to minimise any impact as much as possible."

It added that the work would upgrade the village's broadband infrastructure.

Villagers say four of the planned 15 poles have been installed so far

Mr Bridgeman said: "It feels like the countryside is being vandalised."

He added that an underground high-speed fibre network was installed under the same roads in 2020 as part of the government's target of having 85% of the UK Gigabit-capable by 2025.

Mr Bridgeman said Full Fibre was ignoring guidance from the Cotswold AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), with regard to "conserving and enhancing the natural beauty" of the area.

He added: "The basic feeling is one of immense frustration because we're not being given a choice.

"It's a complete diktat that we're going to get these poles installed into our road. It's complete madness."

Mr Bridgeman said the residents are a small community of "peaceful and reasonable people" who feel "incredibly provoked and almost abused" that the poles were being installed without their consent.

'Ugly poles'

MP for The Cotswolds, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said he has written to Full Fibre Ltd to ask it to stop installing the poles and has lodged a complaint with Ofcom.

"This is a crazy situation where a highly-attractive village is being forced to accept a significant number of ugly wooden poles blighting people's properties when a satisfactory broadband system already exists," added the MP.

All 15 poles had been due to be installed by 15 November, but work has now paused.

Mr Bridgeman said most of the village had no street furniture, so the broadband poles looked out of place

A Full Fibre spokesperson said it was aware the changes can "bring a level of disruption" but that it would use "as much of the existing infrastructure as we can".

They added: "We are also bound by the open access rules and would therefore let other providers use our infrastructure, negating the need for every new network to come and put up their own poles.

"We have worked with Willersey's residents to try to reduce their frustrations and bring increased understanding about the importance of the work we are doing."

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