More than a year since 2degrees was meant to start building a cell tower on Scroggs Hill Rd in Brighton, the site remains empty and peaceful and its neighbours remain on guard.
When the company got consent to build the 12m-high tower, residents of the area got up in arms - a protest group was formed, signs and fences were erected, a text message alert system was set up, people were ready to chain themselves to the fence around the site at a moment's notice and, at one point, occupied the site in protest.
Residents opposed the tower being erected in the residential area because of the potential effects on health from increased electromagnetic radiation and its visual impact. They also believed it would potentially impede safety improvements to the road.
Safety improvements are being done at present, but do not affect the site.
And the residents' action appeared to work. There is no cell tower on the site - yet.
Daryl Hanna, spokesman for protest group Brighton Residents versus 2degrees, said residents took comfort from the fact no tower was built yet, but were always alert for the next battle.
They had scaled back their protest and 95% of the signs had been taken down, although there was still fencing around the site.
The community was well aware the company was given five years to build the tower and had three and a-half years to go on that permission.
''There are people ready to chain themselves to fences at a moment's notice.''
And while 2degrees may have moved on to other projects in the meantime, it has not backed down.
When Saddle Hill Community Board chairman Scott Weatherall contacted 2degrees in July, a year on from when it intended to start building the tower, to ask what its plans were, the response was that the site was not on the company's immediate building plans, but when it was it would let the community know.
A 2degrees spokeswoman told Taieri Times last week: ''The site is still needed, but we don't have a date scheduled to do so.''
Mr Weatherall said the board was on the same page as the community on the matter and encouraged the company to consult and communicate better before it went ahead with any construction.
It appeared the company was still keen on the site, despite the board identifying several alternatives.
