MP says broadband installer 'refusing to engage' in row over telegraph poles

STOURBRIDGE’S MP Suzanne Webb has accused broadband installer brsk of “refusing to engage” with her over the siting of unsightly telegraph poles in the Withymoor area.

The MP recently met with nearly 100 residents from Lakeside, Ravens Park and the Withymoor estate who have vented concerns over continued problems with brsk and the inconvenient placement of poles outside people’s homes.

Ms Webb was joined by local councillors Pete Lee and Kamran Razzaq at a meeting with furious householders at Withymoor Playing Fields on May 11.

The Conservative MP said people have expressed frustrations about a lack of community engagement regarding the siting of the poles and said brsk’s actions go against latest government advice.

In March, digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez wrote to installers telling them to share existing infrastructure and underground networks before making the decision to use telegraph poles.

Ms Webb, however, said despite this brsk has “continued to put up the poles” and she accused the company of refusing to engage with her over the matter.

She said: “Better broadband is really important to Stourbridge but the way brsk continues to behave is unacceptable and is making a huge positive into a massive negative.

“Residents were out in force and telling me loud and clear they are fed up with these poles going up all over the place and I don’t blame them.

“That the company will now not engage with me simply because I stand up for my constituents is unhelpful to say the least and it means I will have to consider the options available for me to ensure it does get in touch.

“The government has been clear that installers must avoid poles if they can, use existing underground infrastructure and speak to residents. This is not happening in Stourbridge and it needs to change fast.”

Brsk, however, has denied the claims and a spokesperson said: “I have been liaising with Suzanne on the areas since last year with a timeline of our engagement and continued work with councillors.

“I am deeply disappointed that Suzanne has made that statement, my team and I have personally been reaching out to Suzanne, my last emails to Suzanne were two weeks ago regarding these areas that Suzanne has failed to respond to.”

BRSK says it is rolling out full fibre broadband across the region in line with the Government’s mandate to deliver gigabit-broadband services across the UK by 2030.

A spokesperson for the company said: “As one of the UK’s fastest-growing full fibre broadband providers, brsk is fully committed to delivering this mandate, which can only be achieved by upgrading the current broadband infrastructure to full fibre - the fastest and most reliable type of broadband available.”

The company has said poles are placed in “locations which cause the least disruption to residents” and if it doesn’t complete a build and leaves ‘dead spots’ in a network means “you're essentially not completely fulfilling on the mandate to roll out full fibre to all areas, and opens up for another provider who will most likely come in with the same approach”.