After many months of hard work by committed local representatives, we are finally making progress to improve mobile phone signal in Haslington. 

Parts of the area have been a no-go zone for signal for some time now. I was first made aware of the issue at the end of last year, when many residents reported struggling with dropped calls, weak signal and unreliable mobile data, making it difficult to stay connected—whether for work, personal safety, or simply keeping in touch with loved ones.  

Businesses have also raised concerns about the impact on their ability to operate effectively, particularly in an increasingly digital economy. This is a huge safety concern and has been extremely disruptive to the daily lives of many of my constituents. 

Back in November last year, I raised this case with Chris Bryant, the Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms during a debate on digital connectivity in rural areas.  

In January, my office launched a connectivity campaign, which supported the coordination of over 1,000 letters to the executive teams of all the major provider networks.  

That was a true local movement, resulting in a positive response from one of the mobile networks (Vodafone merged with Three): they have started a consultation process to demonstrate community buy-in for a new mast in Haslington.  

The proposed location of the mast is on – or next to – the Broughton Arms, but the company are open to suggestions. 

We have created an online survey for residents to fill out and feed into the proposals. Please take the time to complete it and have your say. 

Once the results of the survey have been reviewed, full costings and planning permission will be sought by the provider.  

Thank you to all the residents who have been vocal in pushing this campaign forward and mobilising neighbours to participate. I look forward to sharing some good news with you as soon as possible.