Broadstone residents in 'disgust' at 5G mast plans

Application has been submitted for a 18m (60 ft) 5G mast on Steepleton Road in Broadstone and some residents are in “disgust” at the proposals.

42-year-old father of two Phil Burch, owner of Enhanced Security Systems, has lived on Steepleton Road for seven years and the proposed site is meters away from his home. He told the Daily Echo that he would consider moving if the mast was erected.

He said: “We live in a beautiful, lush green area and it’s the perfect place to raise a family. Now, suddenly, that is under serious threat.

“We discovered the plans from a notice on a streetlamp, residents weren’t informed in any other way. My immediate reaction was shock and disgust, why here? Our common area is used for dog walkers and kids playing, surely it could be better suited somewhere less invasive.

“I spent an entire day making our residents aware of the plans and the response has been pretty unanimous, we don’t want it here.”

Proposed site of 5G mast on Steepleton Road

This comes soon after Southbourne residents organised petitions to protest a similar 5G mast in the area.

• Read more: 'Unsightly and unnecessary': Residents fight back over 5G plans

The proposal’s deployment will be undertaken by Mobile Broadband Network Limited on behalf of Three UK, as part of the government’s 2025 target for full-fibre broadband connections nationwide.

Communications companies can now submit applications under a process called ‘Prior Approval’, which removes the rights for residents and councillors to call for an application to be discussed in an official capacity.

If an application meets development criteria it will be approved, unless it can be proven that there is genuine harm attached to installation. Devaluation of property and supposed health risks are not considered valid reasons for objection.

Councillor Mike Brooke, portfolio holder for sustainability, told residents: “Both Vikki [Slade] and I are doing all we can to fight this application. I have spoken to the planning officer about the issues and have provided advice to those who have asked for help in presenting objections.

“We will both be doing our best to support residents in this case.”

Having councillors and over 50 objections on side is “fantastic”, according to Phil, who said: “I have nothing against the technology, I’m sure it will be beneficial. But the location is totally inappropriate. My wife and I have two young children, aged four and six, and if this eyesore were built, we would probably relocate which is awful. This was supposed to be our forever home.”

A Three spokesperson said: “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Broadstone. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making that happen.

“Masts needs to be situated where people will be using the service and, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We carry out extensive searches and surveys to evaluate all the options. We then choose the option most likely to gain planning approval from the local council. This will include showing we have minimised the impact on residents and the locality.

“We try to keep masts as unobtrusive and small as possible. However, they do need to be tall enough to transmit over nearby buildings and trees to meet regulations and to ensure the signal can reach as many people as possible.”