Graham attended a meeting of MPs with Julia Lopez, Minister for Digital Infrastructure, to make it clear that residents of Beverley and Holderness deserve an end to the saga of ugly and unnecessary poles being erected to provide broadband competition.
In the well-attended meeting, Minister Lopez was clear that the Government has heard the frustration about poles being erected under permitted development rules, but Graham, Dame Diana Johnson (Lab, Hull North) and Emma Hardy (Lab, Hull West and Hessle) made it clear that the situation in Hull and the East Riding deserves special attention.
Graham has seen over two hundred complaints about poles, all of which have been passed to the respective companies. He has made residents’ views clear to the Government and had met campaigners on several occasions, both in Parliament and at his regular street surgeries.
The MPs were united in their clear call for the Government to act by ending permitted development of poles for the delivery of broadband where infrastructure, be it poles or ducts already exists.
Graham, alongside Dame Diana and Emma Hardy, also pressed the minister to make mandatory the Code of Conduct under the Electronic Communications Code 2003.
Minister Lopez said that she has written to KCOM, Connexin and Ofcom about the situation, and has stated that there is progress in Hull and the East Riding. She stated that, following a request from Ms Hardy, that she would look into limits on the number of poles that can be introduced.
Minister Lopez will be meeting broadband providers in the coming weeks to draw up the new code of conduct.
Graham, Emma Hardy and Dame Diana Johnson immediately wrote a joint letter to Minister Lopez and will continue to work closely with other MPs in the area who are affected.
For over a year, poles have been erected in streets across the KCOM area where underground infrastructure to deliver broadband already exists.
Graham has been pushing competitors to work together to find a solution and earlier this month KCOM made an offer to Connexin about pole sharing, the first sign of progress. He has secured commitments that Connexin and MS3 will not erect poles in conservation areas and has encouraged the companies to improve their engagement with communities.
Graham said: “People are fed up to the back teeth with poles being erected in front of their houses, with very little notice and hardly any possibility of recourse.
“It’s a complete mess. We deserve better than this.
“I’m doing all I can to stop these ugly and unnecessary poles. It’s incredibly frustrating when companies can’t work together for the good of residents of Beverley and Holderness.
“I’m very grateful, as ever, to the first-class campaigners who have done so much to keep this important issue at the top of the agenda.
“I know the Minister has heard our concerns and, alongside Dame Diana Johnson MP and Emma Hardy MP, I’ll be holding her feet to the fire to get a resolution to this, quickly.”
