PORT chiefs at Felixstowe have agreed to stump up £40,000 to solve new TV reception problems allegedly caused by dock cranes, it was revealed today.Residents have complained interference has got worse again – and are worried signals will deteriorate even more once work starts on the new £240 million expansion of the container terminal.

PORT chiefs at Felixstowe have agreed to stump up £40,000 to solve new TV reception problems allegedly caused by dock cranes, it was revealed today.

Residents have complained interference has got worse again – and are worried signals will deteriorate even more once work starts on the new £240 million expansion of the container terminal.

The £40,000 contributed by the port will enable the relay equipment it provided on top of Anzani House a few years ago to boost TV signals to be upgraded.

Originally the transmitter covered Cavendish Park and Coronation Estate, but improvements will mean a much larger area will benefit, including part of Grange Farm, Valley Walk and some roads on the town side of Garrison Lane.

Town council clerk Susan Robinson said the outcome had been "very positive" with a very generous donation and the new equipment would be a lot more powerful.

She said: "It will help with some of the problems but it will not cure everyone's problems."

In a letter, Rachael Jackson, port corporate affairs officer, said the port was very aware of its responsibilities as a good neighbour and took them very seriously.

She said: "To this end, as a result of a number of recent comments regarding the quality of TV reception in the south Felixstowe area, we have been making investigations with Ofcom, the broadcasting authority, into the feasibility and costs of boosting the coverage of the Anzani House transmitter."

TV reception issues were often difficult to diagnose due to the set up of each home's TV system. People also needed to check their aerials and cabling.

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PANEL: Felixstowe's TV problems

n Problems with TV interference in south Felixstowe were first noticed about 25 years ago.

n Residents often found screens completely snowy and some could see the shadows of port cranes as they moved on the quaysides.

n After years of complaints, a booster transmitter was put up in Ranelagh Road car park and people point their aerials to it to receive the signal.

n In the early 1990s, as the port expanded, the problems began to hit the Cavendish Park area, where many portworkers live.

n Felixstowe Town Council worked hard on the issue and a transmitter was installed on Anzani House to again boost signals.

n At the public inquiry into the port's next major expansion, Hutchison Ports agreed to solve any future problems with TV reception.