Crewe and Nantwich MP, Connor Naismith, has met with VodafoneThree, following "overwhelming community support" for connectivity improvements in Haslington.

After writing to the largest mobile providers in the UK, Mr Naismith engaged with the recently merged VodafoneThree, who agreed to run a consultation on the potential construction of a new mast in the Haslington area. 

Since Mr Naismith was elected, he has received a number of complaints regarding mobile connectivity in the area.

These included reports of residents 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.  

Parts of the area have been a no-go zone for signal for some time now.

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 residents. 

In order to demonstrate local support for the new mast, in collaboration with community leaders, Mr Naismith decided to run a survey across Haslington.

A total of 256 residents contributed to the survey, outlining in detail the problems they were having and indicating their approval of a new mobile mast in Haslington.

87.5 per cent said they experienced regular connectivity issues and 96 per cent were supportive of a new mast being constructed in the area.

One resident explained in the survey: "This has caused problems when family members staying with us needed to contact medical staff during an illness, as they could not receive calls."

VodafoneThree says its £11 billion investment programme for the UK will deliver tangible connectivity benefits to both Vodafone and Three customers across the wider Crewe and Nantwich constituency (VodafoneThree).

Another resident said: "In and around our address there is no signal most of the time. This affects both business and personal calls as I work from home."

This September, Mr Naismith held a meeting with representatives from VodafoneThree to present these findings and discuss the next steps for improving connectivity. 

The Crewe MP said: "It's clear residents of Haslington are suffering significantly as a result of poor signal across all mobile operators.

"Being unable to contact loved ones, colleagues, or even the emergency services, is not just an inconvenience. It's unsafe. 

"I am grateful to the community leaders that have brought this issue to my attention and campaigned so passionately.

"I will do everything I can to make sure the mobile providers take this report seriously and listen to residents. 

"The level of proactive engagement we have received from VodafoneThree has been fantastic and I look forward to seeing the new mast built in the coming months." 

Crewe and Nantwich MP, Connor Naismith, has deemed the connectivity issues in Haslington as 'unsafe' (Ryan Parker).

Government Affairs Manager at VodafoneThree, Tom Sheppard, said: "We have been working with Connor in recent months to discuss how we can improve coverage levels in Haslington.

"We are actively looking into a potential solution and hope to have more information to share with both Connor and the community shortly.

"In addition, our recently announced £11 billion investment programme for the UK will deliver tangible connectivity benefits to both Vodafone and Three customers across the wider Crewe and Nantwich constituency."