Villagers celebrate after mast plan is rejected

VILLAGERS have welcomed the rejection of plans for a huge phone mast in the centre of Wickwar.

The Voice reported in March that telecoms company CK Hutchinson (UK) Ltd wanted to build an 18 metre (59ft) mast for mobile phone 5G on land beside the High Street.

It is the latest of a series of applications for 5G masts to be thrown out in the district –one planned for Winterbourne was rejected by South Gloucestershire planners earlier this year, and one in Beesmoor Road, Frampton Cotterell, was rejected in 2021.

CK Hutchinson said the mast had been needed to fill in 5G phone coverage black spots – and one Wickwar resident had commented in favour of the planning application, saying it would be a welcome improvement.

But others objected - local mum Lucy Pond had complained the proposed mast was yards from her garden and she would stage a sit in protest to stop it.

It was turned down by planners after 174 letters of objection from local people who said it would be a blight on the village.

They included Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall, who said it would affect the historic character of the village.

South Gloucestershire

An image submitted with the application showed how the mast would look next to trees and homes.

Picture: Clarke Telecom planners agreed, rejecting the plan and saying the mast would be “an imposing structure” in the conservation area, causing “an unacceptable level of visual and residential amenity impact”.

Wickwar Parish Councillor Angie Carroll, who was instrumental in the campaign, said they had been saddened by the application.

She said: “The site they wanted to use was wholly unsuitable as they wanted to put it right in the middle of the grassed area at the entrance to our lovely old High Street.

“This would have been totally out of keeping with the surrounding area. We don’t even have street lamp columns in that area, and would have been the first thing people saw as they entered the old conservation area of the village.”

Angie said Parish councillors and villagers were not against having a mast - but it needed to be out of view and away from the conservation area and housing.

She added: “The Parish Council and many villagers objected to this very strongly and all did as much as they could to draw attention to what was being planned to try to stop it.

“For once the village was listened to and South Glos refused the application, which was a huge relief to the Parish Council and villagers alike.”