Broadband giants Openreach disguised a phone cabinet as a stone wall in a picture-postcard village after locals moaned it ruined the street scene.
BT called in experts when a customer complained that the new dark green ruined the look of his picturesque 16th century home in Stanstead near Long Melford, Suffolk.
The firm painted the green cabinet to blend in with the flint wall of the former village pub – rendering it near invisible.
Ervin Xhafa was shocked to find that BT had put up the 120cm high by 120cm wide box right in front of his Grade Two listed house.
The firm painted the green cabinet to blend in with the flint wall of the former village pub – rendering it near invisible
Ervin Xhafa was shocked to find that BT had put up the 120cm high by 120cm wide box right in front of his Grade Two listed house
The communications giant did not need to get permission from Mr Xhafa – or the local council – to put up the cabinet.
But Mr Xhafa, 35, a property executive who has lives at the house in the tiny hamlet with his wife and family for three years, decided to call BT.
He said: ‘We were not happy about it – workmen just arrived on day and began digging up the path and installing the cabinet. It was a large green metal box that just looked so out of place.
‘We tried calling the council who couldn’t help and then BT themselves. I asked why they had not taken the location into account.
‘Eventually they sent out a team of workmen who put in the new-look box.
‘It is certainly an improvement and blends in much better with the street scene. But we would still rather that it was not there.
‘This is a picturesque little rural village and the box had impact on the environment – we were were persistent and then said that they could wrap it up to blend with the background.’
Acting chairman of the parish council Graham Lee said: ‘I noticed some activity around the box and assumed they were finishing the wiring.
‘But as I returned I saw they were meticulously covering the box in a printed material which exactly matches the old flint wall it backs onto.
The communications giant did not need to get permission from Mr Xhafa – or the local council – to put up the cabinet
But Mr Xhafa, 35, a property executive who has lives at the house in the tiny hamlet with his wife and family for three years, decided to call BT
‘The result is remarkable – and full marks to BT/Openreach for going the extra mile to help what could be deemed as an unsightly metal box blend in to our village.’
Parish councillor David Finch, who admitted he had not noticed the new box said: ‘It looks reasonable enough – and the village does need better broadband.’
Another villager commented: ‘It looks terrific – it’s been very cleverly done to blend in.
‘It was a bit of an eyesore when it was just a large green box on the pavement. Driving through now most people passing through wouldn’t even notice it.
‘But the problem now is that while the box is there we still haven’t been connected up to faster broadband.’