Unpopular plans for mobile mast are refused (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Unpopular plans for mobile mast are refused

12:58pm Wednesday 24th October 2007 in

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RESIDENTS in Chelmsford won a battle to stop a 12 metre mobile-phone mast being built near their homes.

Writtle residents celebrated victory in their fight against T-Mobile's current plans for a new mast in the village, to go up next to the telephone exchange building in Ongar Road.

At a meeting on Tuesday October 23, councillors on the planning committe refused the application.

Fraser Craig of Ongar Road, would have been the closest resident to the proposed pole.

He said: "I'm ecstatic and very pleased with the result.

"I think that the community put forward their case very well, but I also think the planning committee have made the right decision."

During the meeting many residents pleaded with the council to refuse the application.

Mr Craig said: "The proposed mast will be less than 25 metres from my two children's bedrooms and the loss of visual amenity will be significant.

"I believe there are strong grounds to refuse this application and plead with the committee to do so."

Gordon Ingram, chair of the Heritage Writtle society, said he was concerned the mast would have been close to some archaeological remains and a conservation area.

"The site would be an absolute eyesore and another concern is the three areas where young people go to play school, within the 300 metre envelope of the mast," he said.

Councillor Delmas Ashford, ward member for Broomfield and the Walthams, proposed the refusal of the mast.

Mr Ashford said the mast's height of 12m was too high, as it was 20 per cent higher than a 10m pole already on the site.

He added that the mast would be visually intrusive and detrimental to the neighbouring properties.