When a new broadband pole went up outside Richard Howard's Stockport home this month, his first thought was drastic – to up sticks and move to a different area.

The Woodsmoor resident says there are already plenty of internet providers available, with 'no need' for more poles on the street. But his road is one of the hundreds around the borough hosting Brsk broadband masts.

According to a freedom of information request to Stockport council shared on whatdotheyknow.com in November last year, Brsk has installed more than 170 broadband poles around Stockport, more than double that of competitor Openreach.

And since September 2024, hundreds of new planning applications have been made to the council for more, many of which are likely to be granted through permitted development rights.

Councils currently have little to no power to stop these poles being installed, and the situation has left people like Mr Howard with no way of fighting back. The pole planted on October 21 which is now towering over his back garden looks likely to stay put.

"They are terrorising our area of Stockport, erecting new poles under the premise of improving infrastructure," the frustrated resident said. "I'm confident that everyone in our area has good internet and they have no research to justify the need for additional poles.

"They have this week put up a pole right outside my house without consultation as to where it would go. "

(Image - Richard Howard)

Mr Howard added that he had complained, but has been unable to reach a resolution.

When Brsk staff knocked on his door last year to ask about his internet needs, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he let them know he has no interest in switching.

"I'm not sure whether there is any real need for this infrastructure," he told the LDRS. "I was absolutely gutted when I saw it, my first thought was to move."

Brsk has said it is on a mission to offer more homes and businesses "affordable and reliable" broadband, having already helped more than 260,000 customers get connected.

The firm pointed out that all its plans "meet the regulations and guidelines as laid out by central Government," and that it has spoken to "as many residents" as possible about its plans to extend its network from the Davenport area to reach homes across south Stockport and onwards to Poynton and Disley.

Brsk confirmed it is planning to install more poles in the area, but said the total number has not yet been decided, and that the "majority of its network will be deployed using existing Openreach poles.

(Image - Richard Howard)

Residents around Greater Manchester have spoken about their annoyance at poles being erected outside their homes, often with little notice.

One of those was June Eastwood in Rochdale, who had an IX Wireless mast installed right next to her home on Clarendon Street.

Residents in the area appeared to win a battle to have the mast removed – but another was later added on the street.

There was a similar incident in Burnage, when another IX mast was installed outside homes on Broadlea Road, leading to complaints from residents.

The situation has left some councils in the region calling for the government to step in and take action, by changing planning laws to give town halls more control over when and where masts are installed.

Cllr Phil Cusack, chair of Salford City Council's planning committee, warned this month that the city is in danger of becoming "mast city" because the town hall has limited powers to stop new masts going up.

He said the poles are causing "constant issues" and urged the government to step in. But so far, the government has not made major changes.

Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart is no stranger to the concerns of residents in her constituency about such telecoms masts. The Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson is planning to sit down with Brsk to share these fears, and has accused the government of being too slow to act on the issue.

Lisa Smart, MP for Hazel Grove (Image - UK Parliament)

Ms Smart told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "It's really important that we get broadband infrastructure that works for people in remote areas, for people working from home, and for local businesses.

"But it is also crucial that companies work to minimise disruption, which is why I will be meeting with BRSK soon to take people's concerns to their senior management. The Government has the opportunity to do something about this, but they are dragging their heels.

"Responsible companies should have no problem complying with what the Government wants – we need them to make sure that residents can have confidence that companies are not taking any shortcuts, and will be responsive."

Minister of state Chris Bryant wrote to MPs earlier this month to say that the government will "not rule out changing the current regulations" if telecoms companies don't listen to growing concerns from the public.

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government told the LDRS: "Our dedication to rolling out fast and reliable broadband across the country is unwavering.

"But this must happen in a way that is considerate of local communities, many of which have expressed dismay when their road is dug up or another telegraph pole appears in their street.

"This is why the telecoms minister has convened MPs from up and down the country to hear first-hand what the key concerns across communities are.

"Only last month, the minister met telecoms companies and urged them to prioritise the sharing of infrastructure and take into account the views of residents and businesses in rural areas.

"By doing so, we can bring the advantages of high-speed internet to all corners of the nation more rapidly and responsibly, while minimising disruptive ground digging and ending the installation of unnecessary telegraph poles – ensuring communities' concerns are not overlooked."

(Image - Nub News)

A Brsk spokesperson said: "As one of the UK's fastest-growing full fibre broadband providers, Brsk is fully committed to rolling out full fibre broadband across the borough of Stockport, in line with the Government's mandate to deliver 85 percent gigabit-broadband coverage nationwide by 2030.

"Having enabled over 260,000 homes and businesses across Greater Manchester access to full fibre broadband to date, we are proud to bring affordable and reliable connectivity to communities via a brand-new network.

"Engagement regarding our rollout is a priority, we have a robust process in place to ensure that we proactively communicate across various channel with residents and local authorities.

"We are currently extending our network from the Davenport area to reach homes across south Stockport and onwards to Poynton and Disley. For the past 3 years we have worked closely with Stockport MBC to ensure that all our plans meet the regulations and guidelines as laid out by the central government, and also meet the expectations of Stockport MBC's planning department.

"We have a strict process in place for ensuring regulations are followed.

"Alongside this, we have engaged with as many residents as we are able to in the area advising of our rollout and potential for disruption.

"Our dedicated team is engaging daily with residents who are concerned about our plans to use poles near their homes, to ensure the impact and disruption is minimised, and that we work with residents as far as possible to find a suitable location for telegraph poles."

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