Plan for phone mast in Sawbridgeworth residential street rejected by East Herts Council

A controversial plan to site a phone mast in a residential street in Sawbridgeworth has been rejected by planners.

The application by CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd to erect a 15m (49ft) high telecommunications mast and equipment cabinets in Hoestock Road attracted 99 comments, with only three of them supporting the plan.

The grounds for opposition included it being too tall, that it would generate ionising radiation levels and would be detrimental to the value of houses in the area.

Sawbridgeworth Town Council’s planning committee objected, stating that while it supported the benefits of improved connectivity, councillors believed the site was inappropriate given its proximity to a residential area.

East Herts Council’s development management committee rejected the application saying it would be “unduly prominent and conspicuous within the street scene and would result in a clutter of telecommunications equipment to the detriment of the visual amenities and character of the surrounding area”.