New BT box leaves residents fuming
Group angry about siting of street cabinet
An Eaglesham group has raised concerns about a new BT box ‘ruining’ the scenery in the village.
Work on Polnoon Street has left TREE (The Regeneration of Eaglesham’s Environment) members fuming after a green box was put at the heart of the village.
TREE members had hoped the box would be hidden by hedges – but are furious after it was placed near a popular walking route.
New East Renfrewshire Conservative MP Paul Masterton called for understanding from BT for local residents.
“A number of constituents have been in contact with me regarding the installation and positioning of this green box and we have raised their concerns with BT on their behalf,” he said.
“Broadband connectivity remains a key issue for Eaglesham but whilst I welcome any steps BT are taking to improve that service for residents, they must ensure that all work carried out is sympathetic to the surrounding environment, and in-keeping with the village’s conservation area status.”
A BT Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband spokesman: “As part of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project, two new street cabinets are being installed on Polnoon Street in Eaglesham.
“When the work is complete, the cabinets will bring superfast speeds of up to 80Mbps to nearly 1000 homes and businesses in Eaglesham.
“Plans were submitted to the local authority and following completion of the planning process, permission was granted by East Renfrewshire Council. No objections were submitted.
“Technical requirements such as a minimum clear space on the footway for pedestrians (including wheelchairs) in front of the cabinets meant that the locations identified through the survey work are the only suitable ones for the new cabinets.
“There remains a large amount of free space next to the cabinets overlooking the park. Openreach engineers expect to complete the engineering work in the coming months. Coverage plans can be found at scotlandsuperfast.com where people can also register for email updates.
“Already, around 94 per cent of East Renfrewshire premises can get broadband speeds above 30Mbps, with more to come.”