CAMPAIGNERS fighting for nearly a year against "horrendous" broadband poles hope a new legal challenge will see victory.

Members of the Lifford Gardens and Sands Residents Association in Broadway are hoping for a positive outcome from a legal review saying "residents would be over the moon" if the poles had to be removed. 

The group has called them horrendous and says the same thing could happen to any village anywhere in the country.

The judicial review will "focus on Wychavon District Council's decision to allow the installation of the poles" and will take place at Birmingham High Court on October 22. 

Residents expect a decision to be made on the day, almost a year after the poles were "forcibly" installed in November 2023. 

Speaking on behalf of the association, Amanda Gray said: "We believe it is going to set a precedent because it's happening all over the country and the judge is going to have a look at the law. 

"The judge is going to see whether WDC did or did not have the power to stop the poles from being installed and if it helps other communities fight what we have had to go through then great. 

"It's been almost a year now and from what I can understand we should know the decision by the end of the day. 

"We will be absolutely over the moon if the judge rules in our favour. 

"It's common sense really because it's been almost a year and still nobody is connected to them because they are already connected to the ones under the ground"

Full Fibre was the company that installed the poles last year and the company has been approached for a comment.

She continued: "Hopefully this will all be resolved and everyone is welcome to attend. 

"It's amazing really, we can't put a six-foot fence in our own garden without permission but a company can stick these giant poles wherever they like and the council says they can't do anything about it."

Local authorities lack the power to prevent the installation of communications poles under 15m and have no power to remove them once installed.

Full Fibre which installed the poles last year was unavailable for comment.

Meesha Patel, director of legal and governance for Wychavon District Council, said: “Permitted Development Rights means that Wychavon does not have they powers to prevent the installation of poles under 15m, force communication infrastructure to be installed underground or to have poles removed once installed.

"The matter has been listed for hearing before the High Court on Tuesday October 22 and we will present our case accordingly.”