Victory at last for village in nine-year campaign for better mobile signal
Residents of a Staffordshire village have welcomed a new mast after several years of poor signal led to missed medical alerts and challenges staying in touch with loved ones.
The lack of mobile coverage in Church Eaton – just six miles from Stafford – led to residents having to travel outside the village for phone conversations with medical consultants, as well as concerns that anyone trying to access the local defibrillator in an emergency would be unable to get through to the ambulance service for the code to open it.
When BT launched a consultation on the village phone box’s future in late 2016, the parish council received several calls from villagers to retain the service. Community leaders highlighted poor mobile phone signal in the area.
Now, almost a decade later, a new mast on the outskirts of Church Eaton is finally enabling villagers to benefit from the 4G signal many urban residents take for granted. It was switched on by VodafoneThree during the summer, following a long-running campaign.
Villager Bee Byford said: “For years I struggled to get a signal here and even missed important NHS alerts because my phone just wouldn’t connect.
“Now that the mast is on, I finally feel confident I won’t miss something vital. It makes me feel much safer knowing I can rely on my phone when I need it most.”
The mast was installed last year, but not put into use at the time. Villagers and parish councillors campaigned for several months to get it switched on and the issue was raised in Parliament by MP Leigh Ingham.
She said: “It was clear from speaking to residents that not having reliable phone signal was holding them back. Whether it’s making a 999 call, working from home, or just keeping in touch with loved ones, decent coverage shouldn’t depend on your postcode.
“I was proud to stand alongside the parish council to help get residents’ voices heard, making sure VodafoneThree acted to get the mast switched on. This is a big step forward for Church Eaton, and I’ll keep pressing for improvements across Stafford, Eccleshall, and the villages.”
Parish council vice chair Jon Gibbs said: “Getting decent mobile coverage here will make a real difference to daily life. Whether it’s staying in touch with family, working from home, or knowing we can receive emergency alerts if needed, this mast is already making a huge difference.
“The parish council has been pushing on this for years, so it’s great to see our work, alongside Leigh’s persistence, finally paying off.”
