RESIDENTS are furious after a new phone mast was proposed in south Wokingham – and they are now petitioning to stop the development.
At 27.5m tall, it would be placed on land at Knoll Farm, behind Gipsy Lane.
On behalf of EE, technology company Harlequin Group requested planning approval from Wokingham Borough Council last month.
It said the mast would bring improved 4G services to the local area, and improve coverage over the railway.
But, a group of residents are urging people to oppose the development by taking part in the ongoing public consultation.
Philip Lawman, who lives on Gipsy Lane, has expressed numerous concerns about the application.
“My house backs on to the railway line there, so I will have the sight of that mast from my backyard,” he explained.
“It is such a prominent feature on the landscape, so it will be quite overbearing.
“People will also be able to see it from Langborough Rec, the only village green left in Wokingham, which is currently surrounded by beautiful trees.”
A spokesperson for EE said it has sought to minimise the visual impact of the mast.
Mr Lawman is also worried about the mast’s environmental impact, and fears it could interfere with wildlife including bats and birds.
But Harlequin Group said the mast should not affect local fauna, and it has not been asked to provide an ecological survey.
Maria Gee, ward councillor for Wescott, is also worried the development could impact the conservation area near the Emm Brook.
And she wishes the developers had given a perspective of the mast from Gipsy Lane in the planning application.
“We can’t actually see the visual impact on the local area,” she said. “I’m just not convinced it’s going to be hidden.”
Cllr Wescott is now questioning why two masts, both at 15-metres tall, were not proposed.
“The existing mast at the end of Easthampstead Road is being decommissioned, but I want to know why they can’t make use of that one instead,” she added.
“It’s already there and everybody is used to it – it would solve a bunch of problems.”
In an effort to stop the development, residents have now created an online petition which has received nearly 300 signatures.
“There are so many other places that could be considered,” Mr Lawman said. “Why not put it on the Molly Millars Lane industrial estate?
“There’s also a stack of land near the South Wokingham Distributor Road, so why not put the mast further away where it’s not impacting any residents?”
The owner of Knoll Farm, the site where the mast has been proposed, has also objected to the planning application and called it a “monstrosity”.
In a letter to Harlequin Group, they said: “At this present time I look out onto fields and trees.
“It is proposed to be situated in sight from not only the garden but from my lounge, dining room and bedroom windows.”
The owner also said that in order to build the mast, contractors would need access to their single-track driveway where they park their vehicles.
“If at any time there was an urgent need to get to the mast, they would probably not be able to gain access to it with any sort of vehicle or heavy equipment,” they added.
The public consultation ends on Monday, February 8.
The planning application can be found on wokingham.gov.uk’s planning portal, ref: 203607.
The residents’ petition is at bit.ly/KnollFarmMast
