Residents object to 'white elephant' 5G mast

A residents' group is opposing a third application for a 5G mast which they say blights the landscape of the South Downs.

Telecoms company Three erected the 18m tall mast in Nevill Road, Lewes, in October 2022, but a retrospective planning application was refused after it was dubbed a "white elephant" by residents and criticised for its proximity to schools.

A consultation on the mast is due to end and will be determined by the end of the month.

Three UK said it tried to keep masts as "unobtrusive as possible", while Lewes District Council said the mast was not currently operational.

Viv Vignoles, who lives near the site, said: "The Nevill Road mast is completely unnecessary – an 18m high white elephant.

"We were told it was supposed to blend in with the streetscape, but it looks like a monstrous white plastic toy that has landed in our semi-rural corner of the National Park.

"It is the first thing I see when I look out of my bedroom window in the morning, it looms above when I'm in the garden, and if I go for a walk on the Downs to clear my head, it is there again intruding into the view towards Lewes."

Campaigners said more than 1,000 people had signed a petition calling for its removal after it was first built.

Lewes District Council said planning permission was initially rejected due to inaccuracies in its radiation protection certificate.

A council spokesperson added it "will consider the submitted planning application ahead of any formal enforcement action that may be taken".

Three UK said 5G rollout was "vital" and masts needed to be "in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage".

It added: "The Local Planning Authority will assess all material planning considerations as part of the application process and we look forward to hearing its decision."

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