Sara Britcliffe, Member of Parliament for Hyndburn and Haslingden, hosted a public meeting in Baxenden to discuss the installation of broadband infrastructure in the area.
The move comes as part of UK Government's project gigabit to ensure every house in the UK has super/ultra-fast broadband.
This type of infrastructure can go over or underground and Ms Britcliffe has concerns about the amount of overground infrastructure Hyndburn and Haslingden is seeing. The approach is causing concern as residents worry about the aesthetic of their street or their property rights if the telegraph poles or lines encroach on their home.
The MP believes the regulations are not being applied properly in practice as there have been reports across Hyndburn and Haslingden of companies not properly affixing notices to poles, something they are required to do so that constituents can complain.
Ms Britcliffe also believes the current regulatory system is too light touch, and a system where a local authority can apply more scrutiny at a local level about the placement of poles, and the appropriateness of flying lines over property is needed.
There is already an assumption in law that cabling should go underground, but residents are seeing in practice this is not always happening.
At the meeting Ms Britcliffe committed to writing to the company involved, Ofcom, and the Government about the practice.
