Two 15 metre telecommunications poles set to be installed in Leigh

IX Wireless Ltd have submitted notices to Wigan Council for the proposed erection of 15 metre poles along Moresby Close and Kirkhall Lane in Leigh.

Although these poles are considered by many to be a blot on the landscape, they are exempt from the usual planning requirements due to the previous government's commitment to installing fibre-optic broadband across the country as quickly as possible.

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One pole looks set to be installed on the junction of Moresby Close and Mere Street (Image: Google Maps)
While the developments do not usually require official planning consent, IX Wireless has submitted a notification to the council to seek consent for the siting and appearance of both poles.

Planning documents propose that each pole will stand 15 metres high, and will be constructed with an antennae and associated cabinets.

The poles will be used to support the installation of high speed wireless broadband internet.

Planning documents also show that IX Wireless surveyed multiple other sites for each location, and settled on Moresby Close and Kirkhall Lane as optimal locations as they "would not impact visibility" around the sites.

IX Wireless also submitted an official notice of plans to erect a 50-metre telecommunications mast along Hillside Avenue in Atherton.

The second pole is planned around the junction of Kirkhall Lane and Linden Grove (Image: Google Maps)
In a planning document statement submitted to Wigan Council, IX Wireless, based in Blackburn, said "The overriding objective is to deploy infrastructure to achieve the maximum network coverage with the minimum number of masts, and to avoid proliferation of mast structures".

The company added: "Ensuring the wide availability of high-speed gigabit capable broadband is a central part of the government’s national infrastructure strategy."