CAMPAIGNERS battling the installation of telegraph poles for fibre broadband are to get more advice on how to complain.

Residents around Dudley are locked in disputes with BRSK, the company responsible for putting up the poles which do not require planning permission.

At a meeting on December 4, Dudley councillors accepted a motion from Lib Dem councillor Ryan Priest which commits the authority to urgently publishing information on residents’ rights and how to object both online and in print.

Cllr Priest said: “I’m so pleased this motion has passed. BRSK’s rollout has improved, but residents still feel left in the dark about what rights are when it comes to opposing individual telegraph poles.”

Andy Clarke from Greenfels Rise in Oakham, Dudley, returned home to find a BRSK lorry parked across his drive and a gang of workers preparing to plant a pole in front of his house.

Mr Clarke said: “There was no consultation, they backtracked and went away then rang and I told them to go back to the drawing board.

“BRSK are trying to point out we have got to have fibre and that’s it.”

BRSK is installing fibre as part of the government’s initiative to roll out fast internet access and putting poles up under powers in the Town and Country Planning Act which means they don’t need to go through the council’s planning process.

Oliver Clayson, regional build manager for BRSK, explained why the company uses poles rather than going underground.

Mr Clayson said: “Poles are required to deploy the network because in certain instances, a large amount of infrastructure exists underground and there is literally no space for any new infrastructure. 

“Opening trenches also creates significant risk to the other services in the ground and there is always the risk that water, gas or power services will be damaged, leaving residents without these services while they are being repaired. 

“Trenching is also extremely disruptive to the local residents and furthermore, trenching is extremely costly which would drive up the cost of full fibre broadband.”

Kingswinford and Wall Heath councillor Mark Webb says there are a number of issues with poles in his area and says while he agrees with providing high speed broadband, it must be installed in a correct manner.

Cllr Webb said: “The installation of new poles in areas where underground services have been provided for decades is totally unacceptable.”

He added that a resident told him there were covenants preventing him from having a caravan or commercial vehicle on the front of his property and yet he could not object to a pole being erected outside his house.

A spokesperson for BRSK said: “Resident communication is a priority to us, we understand there have been instances in certain areas where there were gaps identified in our communication process, and we have taken the feedback on board from residents and council and made marked improvements on our various channels.

“Brsk will always endeavour to engage all affected residents, we encourage residents to speak to us about any objections, which is why we make use of letters and notices on poles to give residents the opportunity to communicate with us.”