Concerns have been raised about the installation of a 15m high telecoms mast in Everton.
Dozens of residents in Everton have signed a community petition objecting to the siting of a mast on the pavement on Arkwright Street after an amended application was issued to Liverpool Council last month. An original proposal for the 5G installation was put forward by applicant CK Hutchison Networks UK for a 20m pole elsewhere.
This was to ensure the mast was in keeping with the area but residents in the ward have expressed their opposition. More than 90 have signed the petition, organised by Kevin Robinson-Hale.
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In a letter to Liverpool Council, seen by the ECHO, residents said: “We do not want this in our community. The plans submitted by CK Hutchinson Networks do not take into account that the 5G mast would be put up in a residential street and next to a vital greenspace therefore the mast would be out of place in our community.”
The residents used their letter to claim the mast would represent a “lack of respect” for local heritage, character and history of the proposed site. It added: “We do not want this mast, we need to protect our community and environment.”
In its covering letter, CK Hutchison Networks said the location had been identified as “being necessary” for its business development and meets its specific technical and operational requirements. The identification of this location followed pre-application discussion with Liverpool Council’s planning department.
Mr Robinson-Hale added: “If the 5G mast is allowed to go ahead it will block disabled access to the pavement and it will be a massive eyesore on Everton Park. We stopped a similar project several years ago but this mast will be several yards from people’s homes."
If the project is given sign off by councillors, it is through the new mast would serve the Three mobile network, according to application documents. It added: “The site benefits from partial screening in the form of tall mature trees.
“The site has been purposefully positioned so as to not be directly overlooked by residential properties. Additionally, nearby existing tall, vertical street furniture will help to assimilate the proposal into the street scene. The site has been strategically proposed on the edge of a residential cluster to benefit local residents while causing minimal disruption.”
The planning application remains open for public comments until August 25. A date for its discussion by the local authority planning committee has yet to be determined.
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