AT ITS MEETING this afternoon East Riding of Yorkshire Council confirmed its opposition to installing unnecessary telegraph poles in East Riding streets and called upon the Government to ban creosote poles in public areas.
The unanimous decision on a substantive motion came after two amendments to an original proposal from Cottingham North’s Councillor Phill Redsahaw. Councillor Redshaw and South West Holderness Conservative Councillor Sue Steel referred to the “blight” on East Riding Streets caused by unnecessary telegraph pole installation. They warned of the potentially toxic, carcinogenic and environmentally hazardous effects of creosote in poles.
Councillor Redshaw said that he had received a communication from MS3 Networks earlier in the day confirming that they have agreed to the phasing out of creosote poles in the East Riding and have committed to only ordering ECO ‘green poles’. He hoped that Connexin and other operators would follow suit.
Photo: Michelle Atkinson.
(Ongoing)
East Riding of Yorkshire Council unanimously (60 votes) agreed to the following motion moved by Councillor Steve Gallant today (24 July 2024):
“Given that it is one year ago since this Council agreed to write to the Government minister Julia Lopez to ask that the permitted development rules around internet infrastructure be reviewed to prevent the proliferation of telegraph poles across the areas served by K-Com, the Council resolves to write to the new minister Sir Chris Bryant and the five local MPs to ask the Government to amend the legislation and code of conduct to ensure providers have a responsibility to seek shared infrastructure deals or install new infrastructure underground as the default position.”
You can find the debate on the ERYC YouTube channel:
Do not want my village looking like a third world town . These poles are unsightly and in the end these companies are only interesting in money not people. Cannot see why we need these , when we already have pole and underground structure. B.T and K.COM already share so why cannot these new companies.
These companies are not sharing infrastructure and continually erecting poles where there is ducting, they obviously are not interested in public concerns. Those erecting the poles don’t care where they are put as long as they get paid. In Wawne Rd Bransholme there are poles nearly every 10 metres making the whole area look like a pole forest. Councils should be checking the erection of the poles and making the companies either remove unnecessary ones or getting them to utilise the ducting where it is available. It is annoying that areas where councillors / MP’s live don’t have poles! Unfortunately most of the government are millionaires and exert control on these companies but are totally unconcerned about the general public.
I have two poles immediately outside my house!
Cllr. Phil Redshaw
LibDem, Cottingham North
I don’t know how many creosote poles MS3 have in stock, but I am told they will start installing ECO poles exclusively within March.
Whilst it is good that ERYC agree with residents regarding the installation of unnecessary telegraph poles , could we know why ,in light they had advise from government in April 2023 to avoid poor code operator practise of proliferation of unnecessary telegraph poles and that code operators should be adhering to their code of practise to share infrastructure . Why the council waited until beginning of January 2024 to seek advise from the government as to what conditions they could set . Whilst we know in reactions to all the complaints from residents they did try to seek legal advise regarding condition setting, but should they have not asked the government directly in April and gained an answer as a matter of urgency . Whilst the director of planning has requested advise , has he had a response from government?How long will he wait , because as I understand it the council is still waiting for a response from government for asking for a review on permitted development following a motion at the July full council meeting
Glad also to hear the council is against the use of creosote poles in public places near schools , childrens nurseries and childrens playgrounds, whilst the news from MS3 is welcome , how many more creosote telegraph poles will we have in our communities before they need to reorder and order ECO poles and Will other code operators follow this example