Waverley phone mast turned down

Cignal Infrastructure Limited UK applied to build the 15-metre structure on land at Stephenson Way, Waverley.

The applicants – working on behalf of mobile phone operator Three – said the mast would fit in with the streetscene.

Planning papers from the firm said: “The proposed site option is considered the best available compromise between extending 5G service across the target ‘coverage hole’ with the selected street works pole height and associated antenna and ground-based cabinets restricted to the minimum height which is capable of providing the required essential coverage.”

But Rotherham Council said the telecoms mast would have “dominated” the location – a “prominent and open” green boulevard part of Waverley.

An RMMC spokesperson added: “The council considers that the applicant has failed to submit sufficient justification to discount the use of alternative nearby sites for the siting of the mast, which it considers would significantly reduce the harm to the visual amenity of the area.

“The scheme has failed to demonstrate that the proposed equipment cabinets will not impede the visibility splays at the junction of Cressbrook Road and Stephenson Way to the detriment of road safety.”