6G poles in Farnworth leave residents mystified

Neighbours say there installed without warning on pavements near their homes.

Pauline Owen has lived in the area for more than 40 years and says that herself and many other residents were not warned about the poles going up and are still waiting for answers.  

IX Wireless also known as Internexus told The Bolton News it has installed digital network infrastructure and it “engages with councils and local communities during every phase of a network build” complying with planning requirements.

From left to right: Dorothy, Cath, and Pauline say they were not told about the plans (Image: Newsquest)

Some of the 6G poles installed in Harper Green (Image: Newsquest)

Pauline said: “We had no warning at all about the poles.

“Ever since they put the poles in the ground, we have experienced connection problems.

“My connection is underground, so I’m wondering how far the pole goes into the ground.”

She also explained that there had been proposals to install 5G poles in the area in the past, but that herself, and many other residents objected, as well as local councillors.

The current poles state 6G on the front, although this is not expected to be a solid standard until around 2025, and even later down the line.

Pauline’s best friend Dorothy Price who has lived in the area for 50 years, before she left and came back for another 20 plus years, says she is concerned about what will happen with the telegraph pole outside her house and whether her landline will be affected.

Outside Dorothy's house where the telegraph pole is (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “I don’t know if they are moving the wires from the old posts to the new posts.

“How is this going to affect my connectivity to the landline?

“We are community minded.

“Pauline looks after the litter picking and wildflower seeds.

“We speak to one another and phone each other to see what’s going on.

“This is where we live and it’s a lovely estate and we feel safe.”

Cath Pomfret, another neighbour nearby added: “It’s a mystery and no ones really telling you anything.

“There’s something not right about it.”

One of the many poles installed (Image: Public)

Chris Bevin from Farnworth says one of the poles has been installed outside his front garden, and he is “really frustrated” about it.

He says he was alerted to the installation when he saw “workers digging a hole right next to his garden wall”.

He added: “I asked them what they were doing, and they said they were just doing a job.

“I didn’t know anything about it and after they dug a hole, the next morning there was a pole in the middle of mine and the next-door neighbours’ garden.

“I’m not sure if they are telegraph poles, but there are already telegraph poles up.”

Chris explained that the pole can be seen from his living room and bedroom, which blocks the view he used to see of hills in Bury.

He explained that it won’t affect neighbours opposite because they won’t see it.

Chris added: “I am not objecting to them putting the pole up, but they have put it in the wrong place.

“I have had no say in it, and I think there should be a consultation on it.”

Cllr Sue Haworth says that residents in Harper Green have seen poles going up at the Morris Green Lane, part of Lever Edge Lane, Briarfield Road, Grange Road, and Morrison Street, part of Bradford Road and Winifred Road.

Part of where one notice was seen. Pauline says the notices she saw were put up a day before work started (Image: Public)

She says that the poles are for digital connectivity for high-speed broadband being rolled out across the Bolton borough.        

Cllr Haworth says that when traffic flow will be affected by the works, the works are listed in the weekly council roadworks bulletin, publicly available online.

But that many of the installation of these poles is likely not affecting traffic flow, and that the digital companies have not shared information with all residents.

Cllr Haworth added: “Lots of residents want affordable high speed digital connectivity for the home as it benefits families in so many ways from education to working at home.

“The company putting the tall digital poles up – Internexus - needs to vastly improve its communication with local residents.

“There was better communication with the last company who were putting cabling in the ground for faster digital connectivity, CityFibre.

“That company carried out letter drops to homes before works started and provided online contact for concerns and complaints about ongoing works.

Where some of the poles have been installed (Image: Newsquest)

“Local councillors also received a few emails from CityFibre about their planned works which was very helpful.

“Internexus has posted up a few A4 notices detailing works and the council highways authority are already hearing from residents here looking for help.”

Cllr Haworth also explained that she received a standard corporate letter from Internexus in spring 2018, and she replied asking for notification about future works going forward.

She added: “It is the shock of this occurring out of the blue I am hearing complaints about.

“There is one case of two semidetached homes where it is expected a tall pole would be erected in between the homes.

“For some reason it has been sited partly in front of one of the drives restricting the homeowners’ options should they wish to widen their drive in the future.

“This meets the criteria for revision already which the company needs to do.”                    

Cllr Haworth said that at least one home is already experiencing a poor-quality pole installation outside the property that meets the criteria for revision.  

She added: “It’s crystal clear that the government changed the law to allow digital companies powers to use the highways to implement their equipment for digital rollout.

“I will ensure our MP has the details of complaints.”

A spokesperson said that the company directors attend weekly calls with council officials and executive directors of the council.

They also explained that whilst they aim to keep “disruptions to a minimum” they “appreciate that any project of this nature will cause some inconveniences”.

The company said that they “engage with councils and local communities during every phase of a network build” and “are always 100 per cent compliant with planning permission requirements”. 

Read the full statement below: 

"So far, we've installed a new fibre network infrastructure in six Lancashire towns. The uptake we’ve seen clearly highlights the demand for a higher speed internet at an affordable price in these areas.

"We engage with councils and local communities during every phase of a network build and we're always 100% compliant with planning permission requirements. 

"Our company directors attend weekly calls with council officials and executive directors of the council, ensuring they’re always fully briefed on the progress we're making and project timescales.

"We take great pride in helping communities get the digital infrastructure and upgrade they need. We communicate clearly with the local community and our innovative fixed-wireless fibre technology means we never dig up or close roads.

"We are able to build faster than dig and cover providers, keeping any disruptions to an absolute minimum. We're also more environmentally friendly. Our builds are over 90 per cent more environmentally efficient than the traditional dig and cover approaches, using sustainable materials where we can.

"We appreciate that any project of this nature will cause some inconveniences. However, we firmly believe that any minor short-term disruptions will be massively outweighed by the long-term benefits of bringing faster speed internet to Bolton at a significantly lower price than the existing broadband providers. 

"Digital exclusion is a major issue across the North West and the data is clear: access to better broadband options is directly linked to improved life outcomes. 

"We aim to help communities grow and thrive and donate 20 perr cent of our coverage to local charities, organisations and schools. In some towns, we worked closely with local councillors, to help over 90 per cent of school children classed as digitally excluded, receive free access to broadband and devices. 

"It was part of our 'Internet for everyone' campaign, which is an initiative to bridge the digital divide in local communities, by giving away free internet to those who need it the most."

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If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.