Telecoms pole to be removed from 'green' in Astley Bridge

The pole was installed by Openreach on Helsby Gardens, Astley Bridge, on February 6 this year. 

It was placed in the middle of a patch of grass that residents use as their 'green'. 

Now after they made their complaints known to the service provider, it has since agreed to remove the pole from its position. 

Julie Davies is one of the residents who objected.

She said: "It is all bungalows around here, a lot of people are elderly and we have a big green area, we use it as a community space, we will have street parties and things like that, young children play on it. 

Residents of Helsby Gardens with Cllr Hilary Fairclough and MP Mark Logan (Image: Public)

"On February 6, people saw the workmen, and the next thing we know there is a telegraph pole bang in the middle of the green. 

"We sent in objections to Openreach and they came down. This notice was on a lamppost but hidden by bushes, we couldn't see it and nobody had seen it. It also did not have a clear timescale on it and wasn't dated.

"He said he would come down because there had been objections. After a long talk he said to me they didn't realise so many people were objecting to it." 

The Openreach worker then surveyed the area, before telling Julie that the cables could be rerouted and the mast could be removed, in "approximately" two weeks. 

The notice that the pole would be going up, obscured by shrubbery (Image: Public)

Cables were taken off the mast on February 29, but it has not yet been taken away - the provider says this is due to not wanting to damage the grass due to recent wet weather. 

Julie also raised concern about further plans for poles in the area, with 11 notices on Ashworth Lane between its junctions with Blackburn Road and Bank Top United Reform Church. 

Read more: 'No one asked for it, nobody wants it' anger as wooden poles continue to sprout up 

Read more: Council responds after mast installed on retired couple's 'private' land

An Openreach spokesperson said: “Our engineers are working to bring ultrafast broadband to Bolton, which will create huge benefits for families and businesses in the area as well as a welcome boost to the local economy.

“We use our existing poles and underground ducts wherever we can to build our broadband upgrades and we’re aware that new poles can have a visual impact, so we take that into account as much as possible while keeping to local planning rules and balancing cost and safety considerations.

A statutory notice on the new pole (Image: Public)

"We’ve listened to concerns about the placement of a new pole from residents in Helsby Gardens and, on this occasion we have been able to find an alternate route for the new fibre cables, which means we’re able to remove it.

"This will likely happen in the coming days as we’re waiting for the ground to dry out from the recent wet weather – so we can minimise damage to the surrounding grassed area.” 

Cllr Hilary Fairclough said: "I was glad to support residents, but they did a sterling job of getting it moved. 

"If you are a company that wants to liaise with residents and wants to find a way forward, put a notice up that people will see - don't wrap it around a lamppost, make it so people can see it."