Meeting called for worried residents to discuss broadband plans

The meeting, the location of which has not yet been announced, is by pre-booking only and has been organised by Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris.

The councillor has set up the meeting for residents of the Squirrels estate in Hayley Green to discuss BRSK proposals regarding bringing full fibre broadband to the area – the privately funded company is rolling out their network across the country.

Last month Kingswinford residents protested against BRSK's plans for their own street.

If the plan for the Squirrels estate goes ahead, locals, who are used to seeing a 'tidy and uninhibited' street, could soon be forced to look at telephone poles.

One resident, Allan Ford, said: "The main objection is that BRSK want to install telegraph poles to an estate that is clear of poles and has always had its telephone and broadband services delivered via underground cables.

"I for one do not want the estate blighted by unsightly poles and many wires when it has been clear since it was built in the 1970s.

"Apparently planning permission is not required for installing these poles and it certainly appears that BRSK are attempting to railroad the use of poles instead of going underground.

"We are getting notices pushed through the door by BRSK saying they are aware of our concerns, but the whole situation seems a bit hush hush to me.

"There is a strong feeling on the estate that people do not want this to go ahead."

The meeting is being organised for 6pm today at a venue to be announced.

Mr Morris confirmed that there has been concerns raised by residents and thought the meeting was necessary in order to bring people together and discuss the issue.

He said about the proposals: "I think they are very inappropriate for the Squirrel Estate. It is a largely a pole free estate and very open, and I think they would have a detrimental impact on the neighbourhood and street scene. They are unwanted and inappropriate."

Mr Morris brought the issue to the commons during the Prime Minister's Questions last week.

He said: "While I understand the need to upgrade our broadband infrastructure, it cannot be right that a company called BRSK is proposing to erect telegraph poles in the Squirrels Estate, in Haley Green, in my constituency.

"Residents are one hundred per cent opposed to these proposals and they go against the guidance. Would the Prime Minister agree with me that they should abandon these proposals, that we should have a review of permitted development rights in relation to his type of infrastructure, and should give Ofcom greater power to investigate breaches?"

Rishi Sunak replied with: "Network operators have to follow legal obligations when deploying their networks and Ofcom can in fact investigate reports of failure to follow these obligations. I know that the Minister for digital infrastructure has met the sector and Ofcom recently to raise concerns about reports of poor pole sighting, asked operators to share infrastructure and I will ask her specifically to provide my honourable friend with a more detailed update."

BT Openreach manage the existing network nationally, but the Government has given third party companies the green light to help speed up the rollout.

However, BRSK is choosing not to use the existing network – instead they have opted to using the 'outdated' technology of telegraph poles, whilst cluttering up streets with new overhead cabling, poles and boxes.

Residents at the Charterfields Estate in Kingswinford protested against the idea in April. More than 30 residents protested against the broadband providers plans to build huge poles on their roads, and the majority of them signed a petition which says that they do not want new telegraph poles installed on their streets, nor do they require the services BRSK are providing.