Plan to install 5G phone mast yards away from a listed building in Silsden refused

The mast would have been built near to the Co-op in Silsden

Earlier this year telecommunications company Three applied to install a 5G mast on Hillcrest Avenue, near the town’s Co-op.

It was a “prior notification” request – to see if the structure could be built without the need to submit a full planning application.

The company said there was an “accute need” for such a mast in Silsden, and existing masts could not be converted to achieve the required 5G coverage.

But planning officers have refused the request, pointing out that is a short distance from the Silsden Conservation Area and over the road from a Grade II listed building.

There had been 21 objections to the plans. One said: “Surprised you can allow a 20m mast in a conservation area when there are so many other restrictions associated withe conservation area and adjacent listed properties.”

Another said: “This is a completely unsuitable structure for such a residential area with no existing highrise buildings.”

Refusing the request, Bradford Council’s planning officers said: “It is considered that the proposed installation is a visually unacceptable form of telecommunication development.

“It would create an intrusive and overbearing feature at a prominent location within the streetscene.

“By virtue of its prominence and dominant scale, the siting and appearance of the apparatus would also be harmful to the character and appearance of the adjoining Silsden Conservation Area and the setting of the Grade II listed building at 22 Bridge Street.”

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James Mitchinson