Shrewsbury residents oppose 5G mast near their homes
Neighbours on a housing estate in the Copthorne area of Shrewsbury are concerned over plans to site a new 5G phone mast near their homes.
A plan was submitted this month by CK Hutchison, the company which owns the Three mobile network, to install a 5G mast at the junction of Shorncliffe Drive.
Residents fear the proposed mast, which will be 15m high and support six antennas, will be overbearing and unfitting to the surrounding area.
Many comments on the current planning application have objected due to the location of the proposed mast so close to homes as well as concerns for any possible health implications which are still not fully understood by health experts.
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Copthorne, Rob Wilson said: “It's clear this proposed mast is going to dwarf everything else in the area. It's within probably 10 metres of residents' homes. It's going to be far taller than all the trees in the area and will make a big visual impact on a really quiet neighbourhood, so I hope they'll reconsider and look elsewhere.”
Local resident Isabelle said: “I think the proposed mast is awful and it is going to be a monstrosity. This is a lovely area, they are proposing to put the mast and cabinets on a green space where children play and right by our homes.”
Resident Stuart Jones added, "He was objecting to the mast as a resident of the drive, saying it will be highly visible and ruin the leafy nature of the area."
Another local resident said: "This is going to look awful, it's going to be a monstrosity as we look out of our windows and see this great big mast standing there."
A Three spokesperson said: “We want to provide a reliable network experience for the residents and businesses of Shrewsbury and our planners determined that this new 5G site is required to deliver it.
"While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they do need to be located near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.”
Details of the proposed mast can be seen on the Shropshire Council planning portal.
It's one of a number of planned 5G masts to be installed across Shrewsbury other locations include Berwick Road, Racecourse Crescent, Stanley Lane, Crowmeole Lane and Meadow Farm Drive.
