Residents have voiced their opposition to a 15-metre 5G mast being erected on a village green in Swansea. The plans would see the mast go up on a street corner at the edge of a green space in Derwen Fawr.
The plans have been criticised by some residents including Anthony James, who said: "The neighbourhood has joined together to protest about this 15-metre 5G mast being erected on the edge of our outdoor space designated as a village green, used regularly by local residents and their children.
"These are completely residential streets which already have fibre broadband compatibility and this overbearing mast will tower over the trees and be a blight on several houses and raise safety issues on a narrow junction."
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Local residents met on Friday, June 2 to oppose the plans and were pictured with a sign saying "SAY NO TO THE MAST." In a statement, some of them said: "Many dog walkers, local residents and their children regularly use this green space as a valued local amenity, previously granted village green status thanks to historic resident action."
Plans submitted to Swansea Council show the location of the mast on the corner of Rhyd-Y-Defaid Drive and Valley View in the suburb. The top of the mast, including a GPS module to be mounted on top of it, would be around six metres taller than the nearest tree, with an equipment cabinet at its base.
The planning application was submitted by Gillan Consulting on behalf of Hutchison 3G UK Limited, which manages the Three mobile network. It was received by the council on May 17, 2023 and is currently being considered.
Three local Lib Dem councillors - Mike Day, Nicola Furlong and Michael Locke - attended the meeting on Friday to advise residents. Cllr Day told WalesOnline: "The main concern is the siting of the mast, right next to a designated Village Green, on the junction of Valley View and Rhydydefaid Drive.
"It’s within a very short distance from residential properties and the open space used for recreation and the local community. The proposed mast is in the wrong location. We believe that the applicant should explore more suitable locations within the area, and are happy to help them in their search."
A covering letter by contractor Clarke Telecom on behalf of CK Hutchison Networks said the application was "the most suitable option that balances operational need with local planning policies and national planning policy guidance," adding: "It will deliver public benefit in terms of the mobile services it will provide."
A Three spokesperson said: “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Swansea. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making that happen.
“Masts need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise residential locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We carry out extensive searches and evaluate a wide range of options before submitting any planning applications. We have used the latest, slimmest mast design at the shortest workable height to reduce the mast’s visual impact, and located the mast at a road junction in order to reduce the number of houses in view of the mast.”
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