One day it’s a wildlife meadow and the next the flowers have been replaced by one of those boxes that are a physical part of what is becoming ‘Britain’s digital landscape.’
Annabel Mottershead writes from Weston Park in Bath where she has been maintaining the verge opposite her house for many years.
I have enclosed some photos showing how, with the help of local schools and Weston Gardening Club, we have maintained a wildflower meadow.
It is currently No Mow May. People often stop to take photos and it was put on the Bath in Bloom route for community gardening.
However, on Saturday 20th March, City Fibre turned up and placed a huge Telecoms box on the area.
Will this corner of Weston Park become like the corner of Broadmoor Lane with 5 graffitied telecom boxes?
I have contacted the council and apparently the companies do not need planning permission or highway consent and are built on green field sites to place these boxes.
After having Virgin Media dig up roads and place boxes everywhere (which are now covered in graffiti) we now have City Fibre coming in and doing the same.
We all want wi fi, but I think the companies need controlling on where and how many and perhaps painted with anti graffiti paint.
We live in a World Heritage City where residents have to get planning permission for everything, why don’t these companies.
I took these points up with Neil Madle who happens to be City Manager for City Fibre the company busy installing such boxes in Bath, Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham.
So what – l asked him – are these cabinets all about?
