5G: Masts at centre of row in Bath

As mobile operators step up efforts to roll out 5G networks, they face resistance from local groups convinced that the new technology poses a threat to health. In the city of Bath, in Somerset, one such group is celebrating a victory after the local council refused permission for a 5G mast - with the backing of the local MP.

It's a decision which has sparked dismay not just from the mobile industry but from the minister who has been urging councils to smooth the way for the rollout. Digital Minister Matt Warman said that while he could not comment on a particular planning case, "there is no credible scientific basis that 5G has an adverse impact on people's health".

The minister said the government wanted people across the country to get fast and reliable connectivity as soon as possible, and said it would do "all we can to avoid delays to that programme".

But Bath's Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was among those calling on the council to listen to concerns about health.

Bath and North Somerset Council's planning committee voted six to three to refuse permission for an existing 4G mast to be upgraded to 5G. The mobile companies EE and Three wanted to upgrade their 15m mast at a sports ground on the fringes of Bath, adding 5G equipment and making it about 5m taller.

The council received more than 300 objections from local residents to the plan, many of them stressing the threat to health, with a group called Stop 5G in Bath rallying opposition to the mast.

The group aims to persuade councils to refuse all applications linked to the rollout of 5G technology. It claims that 5G is untested, and poses a threat to human health while endangering wildlife.

Public Health England has said that, while it is possible that 5G may bring a small increase in exposure to radio waves, there should be no consequences for public health.

Regulator Ofcom tested emissions from 5G masts earlier this year and found that they were well within safe levels, with the highest reading just 1.5% of the level permitted by international guidelines.

In August, the digital minister wrote to all councils, stressing the importance of 5G and calling on them to act to prevent misleading claims about its impact on health becoming mainstream.

The decision by the planning committee mentions the mast's proximity to an area of outstanding natural beauty and the green belt as the reasons for refusing permission. But councillors who spoke out against it stressed that the mast was close to schools and an allotment, and warned of its impact on public health and wildlife.

One said the impact on bees could be catastrophic, another was concerned about the potential impact on bats.

In a submission to the council about the planned mast, Bath's MP said she was concerned about "the threat to human health, to tree health and to wildlife and biodiversity".

Asked by the BBC to detail her concerns about health, Ms Hobhouse said she had spent time weighing up the available evidence and conceded that all the official guidance was that it was safe.

But she said that "given the widespread concern and conversations I have had with Bath residents who claim to be extra vulnerable, I believe it may be worth applying a precautionary principle on where masts are located whilst further studies are being undertaken".

Julian Knight, who chairs the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said that while politicians needed to listen to legitimate concerns, "there is no legitimacy to these claims in terms of health and 5G".

He added: "Although you need to listen to the public. at the same time, it doesn't mean that you have to take every last conspiracy theory seriously."

EE, one of the companies behind the planning application, said that while decisions like the one in Bath were frustrating, many local authorities did recognise "the importance and local economic opportunities that high-speed connectivity brings".

But concern is mounting across the mobile industry after a year which has seen the rollout of 5G hampered by the impact of the coronavirus, and conspiracy theories about the links between 5G and Covid-19 lead to attacks on masts.

In its Connected Nations report published earlier this month, Ofcom estimated attacks on mast sites by protesters had resulted in 170,000 hours of downtime.

The trade body Mobile UK called on politicians to follow the government guidance on the science behind 5G.

A spokesman said: "It is very concerning that even in the face of clear scientific evidence as to its safety, some politicians continue to back assertions that claim falsely, it impacts human health, wildlife or biodiversity."

Last year, a report by the Federation of Small Businesses showed poor connectivity was a major concern in the South West of England, with 56% of small firms in the region reporting they were unable to get a decent connection on their mobile phones.

But in Bath, the battle over 5G continues.

Another mobile company, Vodafone, has applied to build a 5G mast at the same sports ground on the fringes of the town where EE and Three's plans were rebuffed.

And once again, the Stop 5G in Bath group is piling pressure on councillors to turn down the application.