Lisburn Councillors raise concerns over the installation of new broadband pole 'eyesores'

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s (LCCC) planning committee has been notified by Openreach that it will now act on its permitted development rights to construct high speed apparatus in the district.

Lisburn North DUP councillor, Jonathan Craig said: “Literally every home has underground connections for internet, but this company chooses to go via another route.

“Openreach are putting these poles about as competition to other broadband services.

“They are causing absolute chaos in the area.

“If this technology can be done underground, why on earth would they be allowed over ground at all?

“Why should we be accommodating these poles when there is infrastructure already there?

“I am concerned there has been a fall out with broadband companies and we no longer want eyesores on people’s driveways and up to the fences of their properties.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that Openreach needs to put more poles up and they seem to be unanswerable to most people.

“These actions are at best extremely flawed.”

Downshire West UUP Alderman, Jim Dillon added: “In my experience in the last six months, there have been two major incidents of poles being put in the ground and hitting water pipes resulting in floods of water going down the road needing repairs to be done.

“There is a lack of thought by these companies.

“They need a lesson of how to behave in the countryside.”

The local authority members agreed to contact Openreach about their concerns.