Furious residents fear their homes may have plunged in value after an "eyesore" 50ft-high broadband mast was erected within inches of their doorstep.
Homeowners on Clarendon Street in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, worry their properties may have dropped by as much as £20,000 after the pole was put up without warning in August. The huge metal beam is one of dozens built across Greater Manchester by telecoms company IX Wireless, which it says will give locals access to high-speed internet.
But those living in the area are angry that they weren't consulted about the pole, which has been placed just ten inches (25cm) from one of the properties. And they even fear that some of the homes, which are valued at around £120,000, may now be unsellable in the future.
Sheila Scott measures the distance between the pole and the occupied house (William Lailey SWNS)Housewife Sheila Scott, 65, said she was stunned when workers put up the massive pole on August 18 this year close to her three-bed terraced property. The mum-of-three said: "It just got put up. We never got told about it. They just fitted it, and that was it really.
"We're not going to be able to sell our properties with that on our doorstep. We're worried it's chipping off maybe £10,000 or £20,000 from our homes. Who wants to live with one of these on your doorstep?
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"It shouldn't have even been put there. You don't see pylons around houses. They wouldn't put it up in the rich places, they wouldn't stand for it."
Sheila, whose home lies around 60ft (18m) from the pole, said she was also shocked at how close it was to one of her neighbour's property. She added: "We have measured it and it's ten inches. It's so close to the house you can't go behind it. They have no right to put these things up."
Residents say the towering mast 'suddenly appeared' in August (William Lailey SWNS)Retired secondhand furniture seller, Alan Chadwick, 76, who lives with his wife Ann, 78, said he was also shocked when the massive pole suddenly appeared. And though he said he'd got used to staring at it from his window, he too worried that the value of local homes could now fall dramatically.
The great-grandad-of-three said: "I didn't know anything, they just came and put it up on August 18. There was no news or anything. They just came on a Friday morning and this went up. Nobody told us anything about it. It's an eyesore but you get used to it.
"The lady who lives in the house next to it can't do anything. The house was shaking when they put the post in. They might have done something to the foundation. I don't know who would want to buy that house in front of it if they sell. It's just going to have to be knocked down, I think."
He added: "People say we need the technology. If it was put in the right place, I agree, but that place is just ridiculous." The uproar comes after previous resident across Greater Manchester staged protests after poles were put up on their streets.
It is now feared that some houses will lose thousands of pounds off their value (William Lailey SWNS)Last week, plans for 29 of the masts, which can deliver broadband speeds of up to 300Mb, were approved to be built across Oldham. IX Wireless claims on its website that its masts cost 90% less than traditional 'dig and cover' fibre-optic broadband operations. They were hailed by former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Downden as 'a levelling up game changer' back in 2020.
An IX Wireless told the Mirror: “The placement of the poles are within permitted development rules which allow telecom providers throughout the UK to undertake infrastructure work. Our permits are approved by the local council ahead of the installation of the poles.
The placement of the mast on the street has been called 'just ridiculous' (William Lailey SWNS)"We target areas where there is a clear demand for faster broadband, and this includes all areas across the region. We are concerned local residents have expressed their upset about the latest installation. We understand that while many people have welcomed investment in the roll-out of digital infrastructure, some people are unhappy and where necessary we are happy to speak to residents who may feel a structure is causing an obstruction.
“The latest investment in digital infrastructure will provide local communities with much needed gigabit-capable broadband services at a fraction of the cost of other broadband providers. We believe the only way to level-up the region and move towards a digitally inclusive environment is to invest in a new innovative network which will give people the same opportunities as those across the country otherwise we are at risk of being left behind.
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“New infrastructure enables us to provide communities across the North West with more choice, better service and cheaper broadband.”
Rochdale Council were contacted for a comment.
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