A VILLAGE remains a 'mobile phone dead zone' despite the installation of a phone mast over eight months ago.
Around 600 households in a Ribble Valley village have been affected by the lack of mobile phone signal, which means they are reliant on using landlines.
Cornerstone Telephone Company, LLC, in partnership with O2 and Vodaphone, built a phone mast at Dry Corner Farm, Padiham Road, Sabden, last summer in an effort to tackle the problem. But the mast hasn't been switched on and businesses have described the situation as 'appalling' as they have made repeated requests to turn it on.
Ward councillor Richard Newmark described the situation for households and businesses as 'dreadful' and has called for urgent action. The Conservative councillor said: "They have fobbed us off and the mobile phone signal is horrendous."
Several business owners have said they are becoming more and more frustrated at the lack of action taken.
Scott Windsor, 49, who owns Brookside Garage in Padiham Road, Sabden, said: "The mobile phone signal has always been appalling in Sabden. It's just awful.
"People just ring up and ask us about businesses mobile phones and I say forget it. We are totally reliant on landline.
"Everybody hopes the new mast will change it but they're having trouble getting that up and running."
David Moore, who runs Sanwitches Cafe at Sabden's Union Mill, in Watt Street, said: "It's so frustrating at the moment, particularly because the mast is here. It's got gradually worse and seems as if the service providers are dragging their heels just to get it to go live."
Concerns have also been expressed by Cllr Newmark ahead of the influx of new housing development in the area, including 13 new homes at Victoria Mill. He described it as a 'nightmare'.
A spokesman for Cornerstone, who built the mast, said: "Vodafone and O2 customers expect to be able to use their mobiles and devices where they live, work and travel.
"We have been working in the Sabden area to provide new and improved network services to local residents.
"We are in the process of completing the installation of a new site in the area which we expect to go live soon."
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