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PLANS for a 5G phone mast in Wokingham have been rejected, following a petition against it.
In August, Three submitted a prior approval application for a 15m-high mast off Norreys Avenue, on Ashridge Road.
At the time, Cllr Rachel Burgess, Labour councillor for Norreys, said the location was inappropriate, being near two schools and hundreds of houses.
She told Wokingham.Today: “The mast is 15 metres tall and will totally spoil this area, overshadowing the houses and trees, and the base cabinets are extensive and take up a lot of children’s play space.”
The councillor teamed up with residents who were concerned the mast would overshadow their properties.
It has now been refused by the borough council for six reasons.
The planning decision states that the mast would have “a negative and over-dominant impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area”, and that this would be “oppressive” for residents that can view it from their windows.
The decision notice also said the mast location could reduce road safety, as drivers would have a limited view of walkers crossing the road.
“This would be a particular concern for children crossing the road as some children will be smaller than the cabinets,” the notice said.
Concerns were also raised that Three had not included evidence of consultations with organisations such as nearby schools.
The council also said there was not enough justification for why other locations have been discounted, and was concerned about the volume of the ground-based cabinets.
Georgia Watts, who lives adjacent to the proposed mast, organised the petition with Cllr Burgess. More than 100 people signed it.
“It seemed like we were being treated unfairly – other locations were rejected as the mast was too close to houses, but the mast at this location was even closer,” she said. “I guess the difference is that this location is on a council estate and they thought they could get away with it here.”
Cllr Burgess added: “I am delighted that the voices of Norreys residents have been heard. Often it seems like the council does not listen to people and makes the wrong decisions but in this instance the Trees and Landscapes team and the Planning Team have made the right decision.
“Fighting an unwanted development is a lot of work. I am so pleased for all who helped and for my residents who have saved themselves from this blot on their local Norreys landscape.”
The developers now have six months to appeal. Cllr Burgess said: “We need to stay vigilant – but I would urge the developers to find an alternative site.”
