A mobile phone company has appealed after plans for a 66ft (20-metre) phone mast were turned down by Brighton and Hove City Council.
Cornerstone, which works with various mobile phone operators, including Vodafone and 3, now known as Vodafone Three, wanted to put up the mast in Dyke Road, at the top of The Upper Drive, Hove.
The application was refused because of its proposed location in the “green gateway” to Brighton and Hove, with a suggestion that it would create “visual clutter” in the street.
More than 50 written objections were sent to the council as well as a petition with 282 signatures. Two supporting comments were submitted.
Objectors were concerned about the effect of the mast on the “green gateway” because of the site being close to Dyke Road Park.
Cornerstone has submitted 41 documents to the Planning Inspectorate including examples of similar appeals and photo montages showing how the pole would look from Highcroft Villas, The Upper Drive and north and south along Dyke Road.
Cornerstone said in its appeal statement: “As part of a continued network improvement programme on behalf of Vodafone Three, there is a specific requirement for a network coverage solution within this part of Prestonville in the north west of Brighton to provide essential infrastructure for improved network coverage and capacity along with the establishment of new super-fast 5G services.”
Cornerstone said that Vodafone Three could not upgrade its current masts, which look like flagpoles on the Quebec Barracks, in Dyke Road.
The company said that this was because 5G required six antennas and there was too little space on the roof because there was another base station in the corners of the building disguised with boxes.
The company said that the council did not provide a “well-balanced and comprehensive evaluation” of the application and did not “give weight” to the need for 5G infrastructure.
Cornerstone said: “Unfortunately, there is a growing trend within the council to oppose appropriately sited and designed street furniture base station development proposals such as the appeal proposal.
“This position is resulting in large sections of Brighton’s suburban area being subject to limited and ineffective communication services.
“(This) directly contradicts national government and council aims to support the digital economy, global competitiveness, and the right infrastructure for underpinning world-class connectivity.”
To read more about the application, visit the council’s website and search for BH2025/01132.
To send a comment to the Planning Inspectorate, click here and search for 3373886.
Is it any wonder that phone signal is so absolutely rubbish in Brighton !! It’s a phone mast not a tower block!! We need to stop these whingeing NIMBYS blocking essential infrastructure like this !!
And these people also complain about poor signals as well!
I remember years ago when I lived in south London there were complaints about coverage.
The only place they could put the mast to remove the ‘not spot” was in the middle of the common but hidden in a group of trees.
Even though you’d hardly see the top of the mast there were complaints.
These were the same people who demanded something be done about the coverage. So no mast was installed.
They are probably still complaining now.
Honestly 5g is unnecessary, 4g was fine it just needs maintaining as they are purposely letting it degrade some are forced to have 5g which was always a bad idea and an eyesore plus none wants to support Musk! Go back to maintaining 4g!
What’s Musk got to do with it? He doesn’t install phone masts
Please for the love of god can they put a mast near Lewes road/ elm grove. It’s a joke down there, no signal at all.
Why not just recommission the phone boxes? lol
People soon moan about bad signals, where would they suggest you put up a mask