Anger over 'industrial eyesore' King's Lynn phone mast plan
A 36.5m (120ft) high mobile phone mast would be "an industrial eyesore dumped in the middle of a residential community", a councillor has warned.Communication companies want to build the structure near homes and a playground in Gaywood, King's Lynn, Norfolk.Writing to King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, the firms' representative Novo Technologies said planning permission was not required – because of government rules created to help improve network connections.But Liberal Democrat David Sayers accused them of trying to "sneak through" the development, as masts over 30m (98ft) tall do require planning approval.
The council said the proposal had not been through its system yet, but it did not comment on planning matters.The plan would see the mast added to an existing communications site close to the A148 and Gaywood River.It would be one of the tallest structures in the area, with the town's Greyfriars Tower standing at 28m (92ft) by comparison.
The rules on the height of mobile phone masts were changed in 2021 to speed up the rollout of 5g connections.In a letter on behalf of communications companies Cellnex UK and On Tower UK, Novo Technologies said they would use "permitted development" rights for their plan.Those are rights given to mobile network operators which allow them to operate outside the normal planning system.However, there are still limits on the height of masts and Sayers said the proposal for Gaywood exceeded them."If they want to build a mast like this, they need to follow the law and be honest with the community,""This is our neighbourhood — not a corporate dumping ground," he added.Novo Technologies, Cellnex and On Tower have been asked for comment.
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