Homeowner cries foul over broadband pole ‘just 15cm away from my garden’

A resident claims that an ‘eyesore’ broadband pole has been installed so close to his garden that it is blowing creosote onto his washing line.

John Rowlands says that telecoms firm Toob installed around 10 giant masts on his estate without consulting locals.  

Mr Rowlands says one of the structures stands nearly 10 metres high over his garden in Gosport, Portsmouth.

He also claims the mast is covered in creosote, which has a distinct smell like burnt tar or mothballs, and this is being carried by the wind onto clothes hung out to dry.  

The homeowner estimates the pole is just 15cm away from his property.

He told MailOnline: ‘It towers 10 metres over our back garden, is only seven metres from our patio and is an absolute eyesore.  

‘We strongly object to its position. We fear it may negatively affect the value of our property.

‘We use our garden patio a lot in the summer and one place we sit in the shade is only a matter of two or three metres from the pole.  

‘It’s not a nice thing to have to look at.’ 

Toob arrived on January 16 to install the ‘ugly’ poles, according to Mr Rowlands. He said one is just 15cm from his garden.

The homeowner has contacted his MP and the council but discovered they do not have the authority to remove the structure, which is in place legally. 

‘We’re really annoyed it’s spoilt our back garden, and for my neighbours as well,’ he said.   

Complaining about his washing line, he explained: ‘Our washing line is about 15cm from it, so when the wind blew, it blew creosote onto our washing.’ 

A spokesperson for Toob said: ‘We received overwhelming support for our Gosport network build and invested over £10million in the area while covering more than 30,000 premises. 

‘In Field Close, the telegraph poles are currently serving households with our affordable highspeed full-fibre broadband, and our customers there are very happy with their upgraded service. 

‘We always want to be considerate of the communities in which we work, and we plan our network very carefully to minimise any impact our build may have. We use telegraph poles that comply with industry standards, using typical pole preservation methods.  

‘There are currently around four million telegraph poles across the UK that use the same methods.’ 

They added: ‘During our consultation, Mr Rowlands raised a concern over the location of the poles, and we entered into dialogue.

Our last communication on this matter from Mr Rowlands was in March. We would urge Mr Rowlands to contact us directly if he would like to discuss anything further. 

‘We engage with residents ahead of time and take their views into account, changing our network plans where possible.

‘Unfortunately, we are not always able to accommodate every resident, and we remain mindful of this impact to individuals while assessing the digital access needs of the wider community.’ 

The resident is among many householders who have been angered at unsightly structures placed in their neighbourhoods. 

In September, Metro reported on villagers in Marske-on-Sea, North Yorkshire, who complained about an ‘absurd’ 40ft mast erected on a pavement outside shops.  

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