- EXCLUSIVE: Angela Syder said the poles are ruining the appearance of her home
- Have telegraph poles been installed in YOUR area? Email [email protected]
A woman has told how telecoms workers ‘surrounded’ her bungalow with huge telegraph poles that have ‘ruined’ her view on all sides.
Angela Syder, 68, of Fareham, Hampshire, claimed she arrived home to find the giant masts – one at the back of the property and one at the side – obliterating her view.
She explained there was already an old telegraph pole at the front of the bungalow, meaning there are now three of the beams towering over her small home.
Have telegraph poles been installed in YOUR area? Email [email protected]
Ms Syder is the latest in a string of property owners to complain about the masts being pitched outside their aesthetic houses, with many ruining views or even blocking driveways.
She said she contacted BT and broadband company Toob, who allegedly installed the masts near the end of last year, even threatening to cut down the wires herself.
Speaking of the poles, Ms Syder told MailOnline: ‘They’re like a sore thumb, you can’t miss it.
‘They have surrounded my bungalow with the poles and all the wires going over my property and one big pole out the back of my house which is right in the middle of the windows.
‘I’ve got them on all sides of my property, and one that’s right outside my window.’
Ms Syder, who works part-time as a receptionist at a storage company, has lived in the bungalow for seven years and recently had it refurbished with patio doors in the master bedroom.
‘I’ve had it modernised and I’ve spent a lot of money on it and now they’ve ruined it because they’ve stuck these poles up,’ she said.
‘I had a roof extension and everything faces the back.
‘I’m angry because I feel it’s devalued my property because I’ve got one on all sides now.’
She added: ‘When the pole went up out the back that was the one that really annoyed me because it’s right outside my window, smack back in the middle of my window.
‘It doesn’t matter where you are in the room, you can’t miss it because of where it is.’
Ms Syder claimed she approached the people who installed the poles – even threatening to cut the wires down – but had no luck in getting them removed.
‘I’m not hopeful it’s ever going to be changed,’ she said.
‘It’s so upsetting they just do it – it’s not like they give you any notice, and they won’t do anything about it.
‘I wrote a letter and I took it up to the Toob headquarters by hand. I was so upset about it, but it didnt make any difference.’
It comes after other home owners have also complained about telegraph poles being pitched outside their homes, with one man telling how telecom workers erected a huge ‘eyesore’ pole right at the edge of his driveway without warning.
John Marsh, 75, of Standish, Wigan, said the ‘massive’ broadband pole is the first to arrive on his road and is ruining the appearance of his pretty bungalow.
A spokesperson from Toob told MailOnline: ‘We have some telegraph poles in this area that were erected in 2022 to augment the existing BT poles in the area. These poles currently serve multiple households with our affordable highspeed full-fibre broadband, and our customers in the local area are very happy with their upgraded service and the speeds they receive.
‘Ms Syder raised a concern over the location of the poles during our consultation period, and we entered into dialogue at the time. Our last communication from Ms Syder was in November 2022 on this matter. We would urge Ms Syder to contact us directly if she would like to discuss anything further.
‘We always wish to be considerate of the communities in which we work, and we plan our network very carefully to minimise any impact our build may have. We engage residents ahead of time and take their views into account wherever possible.
‘We change our network plans in response to residents’ concerns where it is possible to do so, and we will continue to be as accommodating as possible. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to accommodate every resident and we remain mindful of this impact to individuals while assessing the need for reliable and affordable digital access for the wider community.’
MailOnline has contacted BT for comment.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
