Homeowners successfully concluded a prolonged two-year struggle when unsightly broadband poles were placed directly in front of their windows, ruining their charming views.
The £450,000 newbuild houses in Wakefield, West Yorkshire were plagued with the 30ft masts over two years ago.
One of the unsightly masts was placed right outside the bedroom window of local businesswoman Shabana Yousaf.
The poles seeping with oil, blocked the picturesque views of the golf course, causing an awful stench meaning she could no longer enjoy her balcony.
‘It felt unjust. I wouldn’t want anyone to experience it,’ she shared with MailOnline. ‘During the warmer months, we couldn’t even enjoy the upstairs balconies due to the unpleasant smell.’
‘My neighbours who had a premature baby didn’t like the smell coming into their house either.’
Nevertheless, neighbors and acquaintances are feeling elated after the startup manager confronted the ‘influential’ property developers and emerged victorious.
‘My husband said two years ago, “You want to give up, they are powerful people”, but at the end of the day you have to treat people equally. Everyone’s got to abide by the rules.’
Homeowners have won a long two year battle after ‘eyesore’ broadband poles were erected directly outside their windows, blighting their picturesque views (Pictured: Shabana Yousaf)
The £450,000 newbuild houses in Wakefield, West Yorkshire were plagued with the 30ft masts over two years ago
The three poles were finally moved after a long dispute, after resident Shabana Yousaf continued to argue for their removal
Ms Yousaf has boiled down her success to research, persistence, and physically preventing the company from tarmacking the pavement, where the towering poles were installed.
The local developer, Bridge Homes, needed the pavement to be in a fit state and paved so that it could be adopted by the council.
Thanks to Ms Yousaf’s diligent research she knew by preventing the completion of this work, not once but twice, developers would have to meet her half-way in moving the masts.
‘It was a shock at first but as time when on it was getting me down. But I kept emailing, contacting the MP and my trusted network,’ she said
‘But, I think the key ingredients to my success was how important it was to the developer for the footpath to be adopted by the council and get it signed off,’ she said.
‘At the same at the same time, in order for them to do that, they had to ensure I thought it was in a fit state.
‘I did obstructed it and offered solutions to get the pole moved to the brickwork’
She added. ‘Wheelchairs and buggies are used here, so they had to be moved because they were bang in the centre of the footpath.’
Ms Yousaf has boiled down her success to research, persistence and physically preventing the company from tarmacking the pavement, where the towering poles were installed
Thanks to Ms Yousaf’s diligent research she knew the preventing the completion of this work
The three masts on Thornesgate drive in Wakefield and were put up over two years ago have been removed
There were fears if resurfacing work was completed on their pavement then the 30-foot poles would be permanently placed there.
In February on her back from the gym when Ms Yousaf saw the crews using a heavy duty machine.
They had already planed the section across her and her neighbour’s drive when she parked across the pavement at the entrance to her drive to halt the work.
Her partner Sean McIntyre, a plumber turned lecturer, also refused to remove his car parked by the kerbside.
‘I thought, hang on a minute if I let this footpath get resurfaced. I’m going to be stuck with this telegraph pole,’ she said
‘So, I got my chair, and sat there next to the telegraph pole, the workmen were angry that they couldn’t resurface it [the pavement].
‘They [the developers] tried to speak to me but at the time I told them if you want to speak to me you need to do it in writing.
‘I felt that I was being a bit harsh, but I was playing their game.’
It is understood that the builders had previously saved £30,000 by bringing the remainder of the broadband in overhead cables, instead of putting them underground
The poles were not only dubbed an ‘eyesore’ by locals, but oil flowing from the polls was causing a stench and even muddied her then-five-year-old son’s clothes.
‘The oil was leaking, it was all over so I had to wash his clothes several times. The contractors came back and put sandbags to soak it up,’ she said.
When Ms Yousaf asked by the developer to move the telegraph pole during discussions she was told she would have to pay half of a £3,000 for the work.
Ms Yousaf called the police and remained sitting in a fold up chair on the pavement until the workmen gave up and left in February parking her car across the pavement to halt the work
Pictured: A worker removing the pole and a patch of tarmac following the telecom poles being taken out
Residents (pictured) of Thornesgate Drive in Wakefield were locked in a battle with local developers over ill placed telegraph poles
‘I said “over my dead body”,’ she added: ‘I felt shocked when they asked me to pay because they didn’t follow procedure it was a mistake on their part.
‘I felt I was being bullied. How come they can move it for one resident and you can communicate with them but you cant communicate with me.
‘I refuse to pay. I’ve been persistent and I’ve just said no, sat and protested, delaying the machinery and work.’
Workers came back in April in another bid to complete the work but Ms Yousaf continued to stand her ground on the matter.
‘They said can you just let us finish the work and I said no because now I am going to be stuck with a telegraph pole.
‘They were on my drive asking to move the car so they can bring the big machinery. I didn’t move it, I stood my ground.’
The council were unable to do anything regarding the matter as it was a private issue between the developer and residents.
‘I just felt there could have been a bit of consideration and [the poles] could have been put underground,’ she said.
Start up manager Shabana Yousaf said her bedroom window view had previously been ruined by a mast
Ms Yousaf emotionally confessed life has been ‘amazing’ since the removal of the towering communication poles
On Wednesday 20th November 2024 at midday two workmen turned up and removed the three poles in less than three hours.
‘I am delighted that the unsightly broadband poles have finally been removed after a long fight,’ she said
‘I refused to give up battling Bridge Homes and Openreach. It’s taken months, 100’s of emails and telephone calls to company bosses and a lot of stress
She emotionally shared: ‘It’s been amazing sitting down in my office, looking out at the view, it’s been absolutely lifting. It’s lifted my mood.
‘I’m more focused on my life and moving forward. I open my bedroom curtains I’m smiling, whereas before all I saw was an awful ugly telegraph pole.’
Ms Yousaf has received flowers and praise from her neighbours who are grateful for her unrelenting persistence.
Workmen turned up unannounced and started digging up the pavement to lock in the poles permanently in February
The crews were forced to abandon the work but returned later in the day when one workman accused a photographer of trying to take his picture earlier this year
‘I haven’t achieved it on my own,’ she said: ‘I’ve achieved it with support from my residents.’
‘We’ve pulled together, and we’re really grateful of Bridge Homes, liaising with Open Reach for carrying out the work and getting them removed.
‘Hopefully this is a learning curve for future developments. I wish them all the best, they have built some beautiful homes.’
MailOnline has approached Open Reach and Bridge Homes for comment.
