PEOPLE in a picturesque lane say they are seeing double every time they look outside.

The residents of Wood Lane, Hailey, have been pole-axed by BT's decision to put up a whole new row of telegraph posts outside their homes, just two feet higher than the existing row of Southern Electric poles - which used to carry both phone and electricity cables.

Bill Storrar, of Wood Lane, Delly End, said: "There are 24 houses along the lane, which is in a conservation area, and all the residents are 100 per cent opposed to these extra poles.

"It is a right old mess. The whole thing is abysmal in a conservation area and we would all like these lines buried underground. We can't seem to get an answer as to what is going on out of anybody."

BT said they had to install taller poles next to the existing Southern Electric ones to comply with European legislation, which says poles must be 5.5 metres - or 18.04ft - tall.

But the electricity company claims its poles in Wood Lane already meet the requirement to carry cables between 16 and 19 feet above the ground.

Residents are annoyed by the forest of poles that has sprung up, and angry that neither company needed to apply for planning permission to install its overhead lines.

Local district councillor George Kellow plans to puts a motion before the next meeting of West Oxfordshire District Council, urging the Government to change the law so statutory bodies such as like Southern Electric and BT have to go through the planning process. He said: "At the moment if someone in a conservation area paints his front gate the wrong colour then the authorities are down on him straight away, yet statutory bodies can do what they like. I can understand why the residents are so disturbed."

"It is all wrong that companies like this can come along and create such a mess.".

Peggy Pratley, parish council chairman, said Wood Lane residents had organised a petition and added that the parish council would take their case up with Witney MP Shaun Woodward.

"It is a ludicrous situation when the public utilities are allowed to do what they like in a small lane in a very picturesque part of the village," she said.

BT spokesman Alex Kiernan said: "Due to European safety legislation we are having to raise the height of our cables to 5.5 metres above the ground so lorries cannot knock them. It would seem the existing Southern Electric poles are not tall enough so we have had to put in bigger poles."

"We are sympathetic to the concerns of people living in a conservation area and if they ring the customer services number given on the poles then we will look into the matter."

Denis Kerby, of Southern Electric, said: the company was not even aware BT had put up new poles in Wood Lane.

"We renewed the poles in Hailey recently and they comply with our safety standards that says our cables have to be about 16 to 19 feet above a road. BT are welcome to share our poles but we, for safety reasons, cannot put our cables on their poles."

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