A massive 5G mast has been put up in the middle of Whitchurch, and some residents are unhappy with the location and think it's an eyesore. The mast showed up overnight outside Peacocks on Merthyr Road in the early hours of Tuesday, September 13.
It stands at 20 metres, and some people have criticised it for dwarfing its surroundings and making Whitchurch look like "an ugly village." However, others have pointed out that it could provide significant improvements to the area's 5G coverage.
James, the owner of Cwtch Mindful Hair and Beauty opposite the mast's new location, said: "It’s horrific. It’s been put right across the road from an eco-salon and it’s the most atrocious thing. It's definitely not very in-keeping with the village; the height of it is very ominous-looking."
Read more: Motorcyclist dies in late-night crash in Cardiff
The new mast includes six antennas, two transmission dishes and two equipment cabinets. Its 20m height is owed to the fact that 5G technologies operate at a higher frequency than older ones, at which point the effects of signal 'clutter' get worse - meaning it needs to be higher up to ensure it covers a wide enough area.
It was originally proposed by Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure, a joint venture company that builds infrastructure for Vodafone and O2's networks. Documents submitted as part of the planning process show that Cornerstone felt the mast was the best way to provide important improvements to coverage in the area.
The new mast is a replacement for an existing site in Whitchurch, so Cornerstone said it had to be at the nearest possible location to the existing base station. The company said Merthyr Road was the "nearest suitable location."
The then-local councillors objected to the plans when they were submitted in 2020, requesting that the mast was installed at an alternative site due to the impact it would have on the street. The council's planning officers originally rejected the application on the grounds that: "The appearance and siting of the development would have an adverse impact upon local amenity in particular its impact upon the use of the existing pedestrian footway and public safety."
However, the decision was appealed and overturned by the Planning Inspectorate. The inspector said that the pavement was wide enough that the mast would not cause issues to the footway, even for those using mobility scooters.
One resident said on social media: "These things are hideous and unnecessary, as are those massive green boxes that go with them. The one outside Peacocks is like a wall, you can't see the other side of the street.
"The 4G network works perfectly well in Whitchurch already. You can even stream movies on it, how fast do you want it to run?"
Cornerstone provided a number of documents to reassure the public that exposure to radio frequencies including 5G signals did not cause adverse health effects, including a report from the World Health Organisation saying: "Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals."
The company also cited a Health Protection Agency report that indicated there was no convincing evidence that mobile phone technologies cause adverse health effects.
-
GP surgeries will close in Wales on Monday for Queen's funeral
-
Wales ask Michael Sheen to join squad as manager 'wells up' watching remarkable speech
-
How Llandaff is preparing to become the first place in Wales the new King will visit
-
How Cardiff looked the decade when the Queen took to the throne
-
Chris Kamara in tears as he says heartbreaking condition makes him "feel like a fraud"
