Council chiefs reject plans for 20m mast

Officers say proposal would have detrimental effect

Plans for a 20 metre high telecoms mast in Raploch’s main thoroughfare have been rejected by Stirling Council planners.

CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd submitted an application for the 5G telecoms installation including the H3G pole and extra equipment cabinets on a pavement area between 98 and 108 Drip Road.

However, council planners said it would have a detrimental effect on the area.

In their decision, they added: “The site is a relatively prominent urban brownfield site fronting Drip Road in the network centre of Raploch.

“The site is currently occupied only by two externally illuminated advertisement billboards and a high level wooden fence and is adjacent to housing on the rear and housing/commercial units to the east and west.

“The Scottish Government has strong emphasis for supporting proposals which allow new connections to, and further improve, Scotland’s digital infrastructure. It is therefore essential to facilitate proposals for these improvements where possible.

“As such, this may result in masts being in close proximity to residential housing in some more urban areas.

“The proposed site of the new mast was identified as required to allow sufficient 5G cellular coverage within the Raploch area. As such, policy would be in support of the proposal as it would allow improvements to the current 5G network coverage and benefit the Raploch community.”

However, they added, policy also required that further consideration was given to other factors.

“The proposed location of the mast is along a relatively busy street with several retail units in the immediate vicinity, and would be situated on an area of pavement in the centre of the front of a brownfield site.

“The siting of the proposed mast, in the centre of the site in which it sits adjacent to, is likely to inhibit the potential future use of the site, potentially affecting access and site amenities and having a detrimental effect on the development feasibility of the brownfield site to the north of the proposed mast

“Although the Scottish Government supports the proposals for new telecommunications infrastructure, it should not be to the detriment of the commercial viability of a site and the potential to add positive uses to a town centre.

“The siting of the proposal on a relatively prominent street, in the centre of a brownfield site with commercial potential, is not an area which is capable of accommodating a 20m high mast without significant detrimental impact on the economic attractiveness of a site.

“It is recommended that another location, either on the edge of the current site or within another nearby site, is found.”