Stourport residents feel “under attack” as they continue to fight back against plans to install 35-foot-high poles on their estate.

The Stourport Action Group Against the Poles is angry about the decision to put up telegraph poles for fibre broadband on The Grove and adjacent streets on the Hartlebury Park Estate.

The group said the poles are unattractive, harmful to birds that could fly into wires and less effective than underground cables but were told the alternative is too expensive.

Residents also believe they are being misled by Fibre Heroes who are installing the poles, which the company say are important in bringing a 21st Century network to the UK.

Stourport Town Councillor Dale Morris said: “Our lovely town feels as if it is under attack from a company intent on making a profit whatever the cost to the environment. The name ‘Fibre Heroes’ could not be further from reality.

“Throughout this process, we have been repeatedly misled by them. There are no benefits to anyone and the cables will destroy the beautiful character of this town forever.”

At an initial meeting held on September 15, residents were given a two-month delay on the installation to find funding for underground cables. They also collected more than 600 signatures for their petition.

This has since escalated as over a hundred residents gathered on Saturday, November 11 to protest against the work with a fact-checker created on where they feel Fibre Heroes have misled them.  

These claims include that despite being promised a two-month delay to the installation, contractors started work less than two weeks later and a second survey to address concerns from disabled residents never happened.

Fibre Heroes dispute the fact-checker calling the claims "inaccurate and out of context". They also said the contractors started work within the two-month delay window due to a miscommunication and there was no agreement about doing a second survey.

Councillor Morris said: “Fibre Heroes are saying even on streets where 100% of people have signed the petition against the poles and overhead cables, they will still install them there. This is despite other providers now appearing with services that they aim to provide underground wherever feasible.

"Understandably feelings are running high here. We are calling for a delay of up to 12 months at most for Openreach to complete their work. If poles are needed, it will be obvious.”

Fibre Heroes said the fact-checker was misleading residents into thinking other companies like Openreach would be taking a different approach and in time they will be able to share the infrastructure built.

They added: “Unfortunately, we were not aware of a meeting taking place on November 11, although we have seen the ‘fact-checker’ document.

“It is important to us that all residents are given accurate and truthful information about the nature of the building work going ahead. With this in mind, we must refute the information given to residents as fact, and we have provided further context to these statements at www.fibreheroes.co.uk/stourport-residents-page-a2023/

“We are in fact taking the same approach that Openreach would be taking in time. It is just the case that we are doing it earlier.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, we are using the underground duct that exists today where it is available. Where it does not exist, in these areas this is usually between the in-street chambers and the property, we are installing poles to ensure fibre can be provided when needed.”