A MOTION calling on Ofcom to launch an Emergency Market Review, and to stop telegraph pole installations, was carried unanimously by East Riding of Yorkshire Council members at their full council meeting yesterday (54 votes, 10 January 2023).
Moved by Independent Councillor Coleen Gill (with appended point 5 by proposed Conservative Councillor Richard Meredith) and supported by Liberal Democrat Councillor Phil Redshaw, the motion read as follows.
“That this Council, having not yet received a reply from the government to the letter sent as a result of its motion on this matter from July 2023, write to Ofcom calling on it to launch an emergency Market Review in the Hull Telecoms Area ahead of the next scheduled review in 2026, due to the expansion of more telegraph poles being installed in areas across the Hull Telecoms Area, already served by an existing gigabit capable duct and pole Network.
A Market Review combined with a pause in build, should consider:
- Imposing a duty on telecoms companies to demonstrate reasonable efforts have been made to reach an agreement with existing providers for access to infrastructure.
- Compel existing providers to publish pricing for access to its infrastructure.
- In the event that no agreement is reached, oblige companies to pursue a formal dispute via Ofcom, prior to installing further infrastructure of their own.
- And to reiterate, stop any such installations until a Market review has been concluded.
- Assess current legislation to determine if intentions and ambitions are being met, as well as if and how practices could be improved.”
The news will be welcomed by the residents who lobbied councillors outside of County Hall from 12.30pm onwards. The Going Underground campaign gives its thanks to all those residents from across the East Riding who joined the lobby, and thanks also to those councillors who took the time to meet with residents. Photos with thanks from Katy Miller.
The debate on the motion (it can be viewed on YouTube first 40 minutes), preceded by questions to Council from Going Underground campaigners, revealed the level of disappointment amongst councillors at the ‘permitted development’ activities of both MS3 and Connexin.
The sending of a letter to Ofcom in itself is not a remedy to the disruption and distress in communities caused by MS3 and Connexin. Councillor Steve Gallant warned in the debate that Ofcom has consistently refrained from intervention despite complaints from all parties. However, the agreement to send the letter, shows, as Councillor Meredith said, that the council is willing to act as an advocate for residents.
Also yesterday, the petition with 383 signatures from East Riding residents calling on the Council to report MS3 to Ofcom was lodged with the council.
In other news, several MS3 poles installed in Hedon have been done so without the necessary consent from Historic England. The poles were erected in an area of Hedon which has Scheduled Monument status, which is an area of the town subject to resident inspection particularly by Joyce Whittle of the Going Underground campaign. Joyce has been in regular contact with Historic England.
(Ongoing).
Excellent outcome at the Full Council meeting but there is still much work to do. These ongoing works need to be halted NOW pending the review. And after that, we need all of the unwanted, unnecessary poles removing asap.
I live on a new build in Hull and a vast amount of money was spent putting the infrastructure underground to avoid Ugley poles being errected only for ms3 and others to put poles up anyway. We don’t want or need poles. Use what is already there it’s not rocket science for goodness sake. Have some intelligence and some common sense too please. Also some empathy to the residents of Hull Hedon Beverley Hessle and all areas. Not to mention the huge amounts of wood being used. These companies are only interested in making quick money without a thought about anyone else. Stop the poles.
There are indeed many new build areas throughout the East Riding that are served by ducts ,for broadband and telephone.
They are now having telegraph poles forced on them .
In cottingham one small area of new housing off burton road that has ducts has now 3 MS3 poles and 3 conexin poles .
What was the government thinking of ,in 2022, changing the legislation for permitted development to include telecommunications installations ,without making it crystal clear ,that where gigabit capable infrastructure exists it must be shared whether it be existing ducts or telegraph poles so multiple unnecessary infrastructures are not permitted
As you say money and assets are all these new code operators are interested in . These companies have no thought for the home environments and communities they blight. Increased street furniture, its inherent problems and the visual aspect ,takes our villages, towns and cities in a backward step ,looking in some places ,with multiple infrastructures ,a third world country. ERYC recommend reducing street furniture ,as councillor Gill informed us ,and yet up till now ,ERYC have not used the conditions they could set ,to code operators and reporting of non compliance to OFCOM to stop code operators exploiting poor legislation . We welcome their move now let’s hope it is acted on URGENTLY