Broadstone councillors and residents praise 5G mast refusal

The decision to refuse an 18m (60 ft) 5G mast on Steepleton Road in Broadstone was made by Poole Planning Authority, who stated that the mast’s “scale and unsympathetic design appearance would fail to respect the established long views”.

The authority also said: “The proposal would give rise to a wholly jarring, incongruous and unduly obtrusive visual impact on its surroundings.

“It is noted that the harm identified above should be balanced against the public benefit arising from the provision of enhanced communication infrastructure and its economic and social benefits.

What a 5G mast could have looked like on Steepleton Road

“However, there remains the issue of the applicant providing insufficient information regarding the current services provided with this area, which combined with the lack of explanation regarding the possibility of upgrading the existing telecoms infrastructure, casts considerable doubt to the necessity of the proposed siting in this location.”

The decision follows protests from residents, one of whom threatened to move with his family if the mast was erected.

• Read more: Broadstone residents in 'disgust' at 5G mast plans

42-year-old Phil Burch, who has lived on the road for seven years, previously told the Daily Echo of his “shock and disgust” at the plans.

Since the decision, father of two Phil said: “I’m over the moon. We were kicking and screaming to get this application refused and it’s such a relief after lots of stress.

“It’s a shame that there wasn’t more dialogue with us residents from the applicants but our councillors couldn’t have been more helpful.

He added: “This is our forever home.”

The refusal can be appealed by Mobile Broadband Network Limited on behalf of Three UK.

A Three UK spokesperson said: “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Broadstone.

“We have been working with the council to make the proposal acceptable and haven’t yet received formal notification of a decision. When we do, we will consider our next steps.”

The plans also drew criticism from Broadstone councillors Vikki Slade and Mike Brooke, who told residents that they would “fight” the application.

Reacting to the news, Cllr Slade said: “We are delighted. This application had around 100 objections but because of the way our constitution is formed we were not able to bring this to the planning committee.

Broadstone councillors Mike Brooke and Vikki Slade

“Siting such a mast on a green space, especially with the size of the concrete base that was being proposed, would have ruined the amenity for residents.

“Both Cllr Brooke and I submitted several other locations within a few hundred metres of this site that would not impact anyone, but they were dismissed out of hand by the applicant. When we asked for a meeting to discuss it, they weren’t willing to do this.”

Cllr Mike Brooke added: “Despite limited communication from the company and the agent, we would be willing to discuss other options with them as we recognise the value to the community and local businesses of having an efficient and effective network.”