Latest 5G mast bid would dominate area, planners claim

The bid is by telecoms infrastructure firm CK Hutchinson Networks, this time for a site in Oakenshaw on the edge of Bradford.

Planners have knocked it back over concerns that it would dominate the area and be visible for some distance on Bradford Road.

It follows four applications from earlier this year being refused for similar concerns in Birstall, Birkenshaw and Liversedge. One site at Greenfields in Heckmondwike was approved.

The flurry of applications comes as CK Hutchinson, more commonly known as Three, tries to plug gaps in its mobile coverage.

In its application for a 15m pole and equipment cabinets on the pavement at Bradford Road, Oakenshaw, the firm states that installing new 5G masts in an urban setting such as this “requires a highly considered balance” between the need to extend coverage and the risk of intrusion.

The site on Bradford Road in Oakenshaw (Image: Google Street View)

“In this location, existing mast sites are not capable of supporting additional equipment compliment to extend coverage reach across the target area and prospective ‘in-fill’ mast sites are extremely limited.

“There is an acute need for a new base station to provide effective service coverage and in this case, the height of the proposed street pole is the minimum required to bring the benefits of 5G to this area.”

It also adds that the application is a resubmission of an earlier one, but with a smaller pole in an effort to “reduce any potential visual impact”.

But planning officers at Kirklees Council have concluded: “The neighbouring residential dwellings are of a significantly lower height compared to the proposed 15m mast. The wall / hedge/ fence to the rear would also be significantly lower in height than the proposed mast, as demonstrated on the submitted plans.

“The mast would be located in prominent position due to there being limited features within the street scene of similar scale would be significantly higher than all other features in the area. It is considered that it would therefore dominate the existing built development and be out of character with the local area.

“Officers’ concerns are intensified by the open nature of the site with no screening to reduce the prominence of the mast. Coupled with the height of the mast (15m), this would result in the mast being visible for some distance when travelling along Bradford Road and from the properties to the rear of the site.”