Residents say they’re road safety issue
nrhn 120512 Cllr David Williams is leading a fight to get a pair of BT broadband boxes moved in Ripley.
Neighbours claim someone could be seriously hurt or even killed on a Ripley street because phone cabinets obscure drivers’ views.
The two green BT Openreach cabinets, which link homes to the local broadband exchanges, are obstructing the view of Nottingham Roads as drivers pull out of Leamington Street, say residents.
The problems started when the boxes wereinstalled in February - meaning drivers have to pull out further than before to see oncoming traffic from the right.
Now a 60-name petition has been handed to the company in a bid to get the cabinets re-sited.
Resident Mark Pearson, 48, says he nearly collided with a motorbike two weeks ago.
“It’s dangerous, it’s a real safety risk and it will not be long before someone is seriously injured or killed,” he said.
“You used to be able to see between the telegraph pole and the cabinet – now you just have to pull out and hope for the best.”
BT did not require planning permission to install the street cabinets and up until this week had refused to move them.
A spokesperson for the company had said Openreach had complied with the law in moving the broadband cabinets and the company felt the boxes were sited safely.
But this week however, BT has agreed to take a ‘fresh look’ at the cabinets due to the ‘strength of feeling’ from local residents.
The spokesperson said: “We are going to take a fresh look at this, but that’s not to say we are definitely going to move the cabinets at this stage.”
Ripley town councillor and seasoned campaigner David Williams, leading the fight, said residentswere hoping BT will ‘see sense’ in the long-run.
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Weather for Ripley
Saturday 25 May 2013
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