Council ask Openreach to pause on poles, saying it's good to talk - but will it listen?

Openreach has been asked to suspend telegraph pole work scheduled for this week in Southport and hold a constructive dialogue with local residents. 

The call follows a meeting between council Highways Officers and Sefton Cabinet Member Cllr John Fairclough with Norwood Councillor Greg Myers, who outlined to them residents' complaints over Openreach's work programme approach.

Part of a government-backed push to improve broadband speed nationwide, the work has caused issues in several communities across the country. While the upgrade programme is welcomed, says Cllr Myers, telegraph poles for many Southport residents are not. 

Crucially, he believes Openreach's approach to dealing with local concerns is worsening the situation and stoking further resentment, explaining"Openreach has made this situation far worse than it needed to be. If they'd held a genuine dialogue with residents worried about telegraph poles in the first place, perhaps not all but much of the concern would have abated I suspect."

"People want to understand the business case for this and issues like why other providers can network without using poles here but Openreach says it must use them. Residents also want to feel heard and respected, which many currently do not."
 
"I've had an Openreach Clerk of Works tell me at a protest that it was unfair to say they hadn't engaged, as he'd personally gone to the homes of the large majority of objectors there and spoken to them." "I tested this by quickly turning to ask those present for a show of hands to see who had been visited, of the 20 or so residents only four had been, at which point the chap rather unbelievably started trying to deny he'd said it to me in the first place, until some of the protestors made clear they'd overheard him." 

"Residents also informed me that those who had been individually visited were being told they were the only ones complaining. Instead of meaningful engagement, it seems Openreach has been more interested in tactics to manage any opposition. No wonder some residents tell me they feel the company is gaslighting them." 

"Its attitude appears to have hardened further by trying to overcome peaceful and legal resident protests by involving the police. Credit to those officers that have attended as they have been very sensible and sensitive to the situation." 

"I know from talking to a senior officer at one of the protests that he was also asking the Openreach management team to engage in better dialogue with the local community."

"This dragooning of residents must stop. Further work is scheduled here this week and it's a concern that if Openreach keeps acting as it has, the situation will worsen."

Cllr John Fairclough, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Locality Services, which includes highways, has now publicly called on the company to pause its activity and rethink its approach:

"We want Openreach to actively consult. For many people, telegraph poles aren't an issue and I'm sure we all welcome better broadband but for some residents In Southport the poles are a real concern."   

"The problem for the council is that its hands are largely tied by the legislation which means it can neither grant nor deny permission for these poles. Unless there is an obvious safety or obstruction type issue, it must allow the work."

"Openreach knows this and as telegraph poles are cheaper for them to install in some areas, its attitude with residents seems to boil down to 'legally we can do it, so we will'. These issues are a source of frustration for ourselves also as we end up caught in the middle." 

"This isn't helped by misunderstanding locally over what the council can or can't do, or incorrect claims that historic by-laws can prevent these poles - officers have told me that our legal department has gone right back to the creation of Sefton Council, no such by-law was carried over from other authorities nor can be implemented now."

"My message to Openreach is clear, pause the work and properly engage with our residents. BT used to say it was good to talk, after all."