A row over a 5G mast in a Newcastle village is set to come to a head next week, with councillors due to rule on the dispute.
An argument over the “ugly” 59ft phone mast in Hazlerigg sparked into life once again recently, after it emerged that it had been built in the wrong place. The Coach Lane pole was approved on appeal last year by a Government planning inspector, having initially been rejected by Newcastle City Council.
But telecoms giant Three has been forced to ask the local authority for planning permission once again, having erected the mast 18 metres away from where it should have been – something that was blamed on “land ownership issues”. More than 200 people have since objected to the scheme, urging the council to reject it and force the phone network to take the “eyesore” down.
Read More: Row over 'eyesore' 5G mast in Newcastle village reignited – after it was built in wrong place
But it looks as if the mast could be there to stay, with city planners recommending that councillors allow it to remain. In a report ahead of a council planning committee hearing next Friday, June 30, they say the mast is not “unduly intrusive”.
The report concludes: “The need for a new telecommunications base station within the Hazlerigg area to provide improved 5G coverage has been set out by the applicant and is not disputed. The need to support the expansion of electronic communications networks, including next generation mobile technology (such as 5G) and full fibre broadband connections is recognised and the operational constraints of the network and resultant design requirements are given weight in the application assessment.
“The location of the mast and cabinets is slightly further east along Coach Lane when compared to the previously approved mast position but shares many of its site characteristics. The mast is clearly visible from neighbouring houses to the north and to the south. The equipment’s simple design and grey colour helps reduces its visual impact. When viewed alongside surrounding tree cover and the vertical emphases of existing street furniture within the streetscene, it is concluded that there is no significant harm to the character and visual amenity of the surrounding area.”
The 202 public objections to the mast includes claims that it is an “eyesore in a residential area” and is “obtrusive, ugly and incongruous”. One campaigner, Marc Wilkinson, travelled down from Edinburgh recently to rally opposition to the scheme and delivered 171 written objections to the city council.
There have also been complaints that, since it was erected last year, it has become a target for graffiti and vandalism. Hazlerigg Parish Council accused the city council of a “blatant disregard for local democracy” in the feud over the mast last year and objects once again to the new plans, as do the three Lib Dem councillors from the Castle ward.
Applicant Cignal Infrastructure UK Limited told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last month that the development was “critical to us providing a reliable network experience to the community”.
