Network provider says monopoles 'crucial' for better connectivity as Gunthorpe residents object to 'eyesore'

Gunthorpe residents who object to an “eyesore” monopole built on a grass verge near their homes say they had no idea what was coming.

The 15-metre pole stands on the grass verge of Coniston Road opposite Windermere Way and is unpopular with local residents who claim it destroys their view and may also be affecting their television signal.

But Three, the provider behind the application for the monopole, says better connectivity is “crucial” for residents and businesses in the area.

Pauline Hinchcliffe, a resident of Ennerdale Rise, said that most people on her street – which leads up to the verge – “didn’t know anything about it” before the monopole was built.

“It was kept very secretive and very few people knew about it,” she said.

Peterborough City Council (PCC) says that there was “wide consultation on the application” and that 29 neighbours were consulted about the pole.

Max Coles, a resident of Ennerdale Rise who was consulted, said he would have objected more strongly to it being built if he’d known what it would look like.

“I’ve got six windows facing this thing and you can see it out of six windows in our house,” he said.

“We’re not very happy about it. We didn’t know what this was going to look like.”

Werrington Neighbourhood Council, meanwhile, called the mast “very obtrusive” and the “tallest thing for miles”.

“We do not believe these masts are suitable for residential areas,” they added.

But Three says that: “While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they do need to be situated near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.”

A spokesperson for the company continued that “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Gunthorpe”.

Phone network providers have been rolling out 5G in the UK since 2019.

This is intended to provide more reliable connectivity and faster download and upload speeds than its predecessors, 3G and 4G.

It has also meant more monopoles, which are typically 15-20m high and accompanied by equipment cabinets.

Residents of Ennerdale Rise held a protest this week against more monopoles being built in their area.

They have also written letters they say they will deliver to the council to object to more being built on the verge.