Fury over 'ugly' structure at Hastings beauty spot

They say the Lightning Fibre box, which appeared last weekend, is too big spoils the view and this is meant to be a conservation area.

A petition has been launched and yesterday graffiti appeared daubed on the structure with the words ‘Please remove your box’.

Resident Keith Leech said: “Lightning Fibre say that they had agreed the site of the box with the council. Residents want to know how this can possibly be? Local councillors are saying that because of new government planning rules the company can do more or less what they please. The company have said that local residents do not have to be consulted.

"There are plenty of better places to site the box and it could have been put against a wall only ten metres away from where it is. There appears to have been no forethought or planning at all.

"The way they have treated the people of this town messing up the pavements digging holes everywhere and putting their boxes where they please does not seem to me to be a company who care about anything other than their profit.”

But not everyone agreed with some saying the box was just normal street furniture like a bus shelter or telegraph pole and that it was important to have reliable internet services.

Lightning Fibre, in a letter to Mr Leech that the Observer has seen, said: “We are not required to consult residents with regards to the location of the cabinet. The location has been approved by your local council and will remain where it is.

"As a gesture of good-will we will create a bespoke wrap for the cabinet with added greenery around the base as a compromise. Unfortunately we are unable to assist any further with this matter.”

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