I COMMISERATE with Mr Milburn of Stillington about the telephone pole being erected without warning in front of his home (November 28), but he will get no response from BT to any objection he raises.

In recent weeks BT have erected two equally ugly dead tree trunks in the centre of Haxby's conservation area without even warning, let alone consulting, the town council which is responsible for the village green.

Together with their messy tangle of wires they further despoil the view through The Village already made unsightly by BT's previous assaults.

Surely, in the 21st century there is no need for 19th century poles and wires, as proved by their complete absence in the newer estates.

BT's typically anonymous spokeswoman claims there is "a clear process for people to appeal".

Yet I wrote to their Wayleaves Manager on October 20 about the Haxby desecration and have not even received the courtesy of an acknowledgement, never mind a reply.

The truth lies in her other quote: "We do not need planning permission." In other words, they will ignore everyone else's interests and do as they like, where they like, when they like, including trashing designated conservation areas.

Sorry, Mr Milburn, you will have to learn to live with your pole.

F T Smith,

Ashwood Glade,

Haxby, York.

...WE had a similar experience of the sudden appearance of an extra telegraph pole on our green at Alma Grove, off Fulford Road.

We came home from work on July 3 to discover our telephone had been cut off and BT engineers had erected a new telegraph pole a few metres from our home on the green.

This was not a replacement for an existing pole. BT told us our telephone would be out of order until July 8. However, in the event, it was able to reconnect us the next day.

Just like Mr Milburn we had no prior warning that any so-called "maintenance work" was to be carried out, or that engineers would be on our property carrying out this work.

We involved our local councillor and wrote to BT to complain, but the reply from BT was unsatisfactory to say the least, stating that BT has "a statutory right to install telecommunications apparatus on the public highway" (although this also seems to include being free to carry out work on the facia of our house) and that "prior consultation with local residents is not obligatory".

BT said the work was part of an "ongoing maintenance programme".

I find it difficult to see how doubling the number of telegraph poles in Alma Grove is part of maintenance - it seems more like a new installation to me and I cannot understand why no one was consulted before this occurred.

J T Barry,

Alma Grove,

Fulford Road, York.

Updated: 10:19 Friday, December 05, 2003