Proposals made for 5G masts in Yorkshire Dales beauty spot as part of Government trial

Proposals have been made for a number of 5G masts in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales (pictured)

The masts are to be erected in the Coverdale area if the mobile networks who have applied for permission are given the go ahead.

The Dales local authority has said it will open the application to be discussed publicly by a planning committee due to the public interest in the proposals.

Applications are being dealt with on a case-by-case basis, with one for the installation of a 17m wooden utility pole in West Scrafton set to be considered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s planning committee on February 9.

Julie Martin, Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Planning Committee, said: “The majority of planning applications - around 90 per cent - are usually dealt with by officers, in line with our planning policies.

“However, given the public interest in this application, we felt it important that this should be considered by the committee and discussed publicly so the arguments for and against can be heard.

“We would add that, as a local planning authority, we can only consider the design and siting of masts, not the technology itself."

The scheme for the 5G masts is part of the Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) project, which is part of a wider £200m Government initiative exploring how 5G can be used to connect rural areas, bringing them in line with their urban neighbours.

Anyone with an interest in the proposals can attend the meeting on the National Park authority’s website on February 9.

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