BTbox

We call on the Government to repeal the law that allows BT to override local planning officers. British Telecom are currently not required to comply with British planning laws during the installation of their huge new Fibre Optic boxes. This means that a box, such as the one described in the following newspaper article, can not only arrive outside your own house without notice, but from experience BT's complaint department will quickly turn their backs on any objection to the box after the event. Even to the extent of complaints related to the damage of personal property during the installation. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010608/BT-s-52-000-green-giants--metal-monstrosity-stuck-outside-home.html If your local councils planning department object to the planned position of these intrusive boxes due to unsuitability, BT have the ability to 'over ride' the local council's decision. BT have systematically abused the 'unusual' privilege that was granted to them since the law was changed in their favour, leaving residents and councils powerless to object to the poor positioning of many of these boxes. With a total of 55,000 of these boxes to be installed in total, allowing them to continue operating in ignorance of the interests of the local residents and of our local councils, would be wrong. The council should be in charge of planning, not a private business with it's own interests. These boxes exceed five feet in height and are higher than most of the walls they are being installed in front of. They are intrusive and take up far too much of the pavement to be considered safe. If you don't want to wake up one morning with BT installing one in front of your house, potentially devaluing and affecting the saleability of your property, then please sign this petition.