A councillor is calling for improved planning guidelines after neighbours started a second fight against a proposal to put a 5G mobile phone mast array on their roof.
People living in Park Lodge, in Dyke Road, Hove, fought off plans by O2 and Vodafone for masts and dishes on the roof of their home back in 2021.
Now they face a fresh battle after the mobile phone infrastructure business Cornerstone signalled its intention to site 12 masts and four dishes at Park Lodge on behalf of O2 and Vodafone.
Cornerstone said that it also planned to build a compound in the communal garden for equipment cabinets. The compound would measure 7m x 2.5m x 2m high – or about 23ft x 8ft x 6ft 6in.
Neither the building’s freeholder nor residents want the masts on the roof nor part of the garden to be used for cabinets.
But the mobile phone companies can take “unco-operative landowners” to a land tribunal if they refuse.
Conservative councillor Samer Bagaeen, who represents Westdene and Hove Park ward on Brighton and Hove City Council, is raising the matter with the council’s Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee.
Councillor Bagaeen is asking the council to prepare new guidance to protect people living in blocks of flats in the same way as at least one other local authority.
He plans to ask the committee: “Westdene and Hove Park leaseholders at Park Lodge have again been subjected to a speculative application by the mobile operators to turn their homes into a giant 5G antenna.
“They feel let down by the council’s lack of technical and planning guidance to support the delivery of digital connectivity infrastructure.
“Would the council, therefore, commission and prepare as a matter of urgency ‘City Plan’ guidance, as the ‘London Plan’ team at the GLA (Greater London Authority) is currently doing, covering all stages of digital connectivity planning applications and provide clarity on locations, expectations and requirements.”
Park Lodge resident Valerie Bundy, who has campaigned against mobile phone masts on top of her home for more than 20 years, led the most recent campaign against the proposed masts.
She is concerned that mobile phone companies can now override opposition from freeholders and residents and instal masts where they wish, using “permitted development rights”.
Miss Bundy said: “People might think surely they can’t move on to private lane but the law is there to allow them to force it through.
“I’m just hoping the law has enough in it. There are sections (of the law) to say people can’t be forced to accept it if they have other plans for the land.”
Having looked at the proposals, she said that Cornerstone had obviously not visited the site because its information was outdated and made no reference to the new orchard.
She said: “They say our garden is overgrown and suitable for herbicide treatment and concreting.
“We know this is untrue and we host visitors to this space, including bats (vintage elms in the park are roosts), badgers and starlings who see this as their home.
“Not restricted to these species, they are notable because they are explicitly protected by law. We have pictorial evidence of the actual animals in danger.
“We have tried to tell Cornerstone this is a bad decision and will be against too many ecological initiatives to list here but they refuse to listen.
“As residents, we try to contribute positively to the environment and ecosystem with solar panels on our roof and a mini orchard of trees dedicated to the late Queen under the Green Canopy initiative.”
Cornerstone said: “Cornerstone understands that our mobile infrastructure can impact communities and lead to concern about proposed developments.
“For this reason, we give great consideration to the location and design of our developments.
“The proposed base station will provide network coverage for local residents and visitors to the area.
“We are aware that some residents have expressed their concern about the environmental impact of our proposed development during our ongoing consultation with the residents.”
The Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4pm on Thursday 15 June. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Says it all really. Several residents are still in this day and age wearing face masks. They must be Uber paranoid.
Oh, and I assume they don’t use mobiles or want 5g internet ?
That’s an archive picture from 2021
Would you like a 7 m × 2 m x 2.5 m cabinet buzzing away in your garden? I think not….
Wouldn’t bother me at all….but the excellent reception and rent money from the mobile company would be most welcome !
You don’t have Wi-Fi then? Why? And also no understanding of technology because you don‘t get 5G under the masts, only in the roads that they beam down on to. This is about grabbing garden territory and turning residential buildings into business buildings too. Try putting power generators in your garden buzzing away 24/7 underneath your bedroom windows, and see if you like it. Also, perhaps read the captions under pictures, it clearly says the picture is old, they’re not wearing masks now. You look dumb, making ignorant comments and not reading the facts even here.
As usual the corporate gangsters are using the law against the public even though they are in the wrong and even the landlords won’t listen .It is a sad state of affairs when corporate greed is allowed to triumph..Roll out 5g and AI and turn our world into a robot Simulation of what it should be.
It’s an ongoing battle to oppose 5G masts on the roof of their building.
The plan is for 12 masts & 4 dishes on the roof, as well as 7 cabinets in the communal garden.
We have been backing the leaseholders & tenants in the 6 storey block of 43 flats in their ongoing objections.
Land grab by the telecoms companies, how the building will look for residents & the public, the impact on the park, cutting back of trees, the affect for the wildlife including the bats & noise with the unsightly cabinets are concerns to us.
I do love it when Tory councillors campaign against policies implemented by their own party! Incidentally, I agree with this policy – we need better mobile coverage and why install an ugly pole if you can simply plonk them on an existing tower block.
There are more masts planned than is allowed under permitted development for a building of this height. 12 is too many. They will be at least 2 metres height towering above for all to see from miles around. The trees in the park are going to be cut down half way and a badger and rabbit Warren’s will be destroyed. Plus the constant buzzing from the cabinets is a noise issue not to mention the access Vodafone will have to the site on a regular basis adding yet more noise and pollution to a peaceful park area. Why do the government let them destroy all our precious land.
It would be terrible to have humming, buzzing noises all the time!
2m on top of a building that is probably 16m high is not, IMO, towering – especially when seen from ground level, and the transponders need to be high to give wide coverage.
I can understand why the residents are against space being taken for the cabinets, albeit they state this us an overgrown Orchard, but why are they against masts in the roof?
Have they just blindly accepted all the scaremongering misinformation spread by groups such as stop5g?
Perhaps try https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health
I’d like to believe they are fighting against having the cabinets, and any extra foot traffic (I.e maintenance) that might cause (which is perfectly reasonable to fight against ) . But I’m certain there will be a few that follow various conspiracies. The companies installing the equipment should give them free broadband and SIM cards and see how their convictions hold.
I wouldn’t want the masts buzzing and humming all the time you have them
Lets get this straight they are not Residence they are Owners.
These mobile companies are stealing the land and roof area owned by others.
They are owners and residents
You may like to “believe” it is “foot traffic” but perhaps those objecting would clarify the reasons.
How much footfall do you think mobile masts requ: as compared to refuse, postmen, food, and online shopping deliveries for example?
Not sure what this has to do with “broadband” although 5g can supply a wireless alternative to fibre and provide backup.
I do know a number of flat owners nearby have very slow wired broadband and thus could help as well https://www.three.co.uk/broadband/home-broadband
For mobile access, users regularly complain of poor coverage, so where would they like masts located instead?
They are 2 metres height on the roof! (And there’s 12 of them) So everyone will enjoy the attraction….. plus they are planning on cutting trees in half in the park. So it’s not going to look nice.