'Difficult to fight' phone mast plans get backing from Biggleswade Town Council

Plans for a 70 feet telecommunications mast on a popular play area in Biggleswade secured the backing of town councillors, as the location is the furthest away from nearby properties.

Applicant Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited has submitted proposals for the structure on open land next to Furzenhall Road.

“This triangle of land used to be looked after by the town council many years ago before it was handed back to Central Bedfordshire Council,” according to Conservative Biggleswade North and town councillor Ian Bond.

“It was subject to a request by Hallam Management Limited to buy it from CBC,” he told a town council meeting. “You’ll realise it’s difficult to fight these, but you need to influence the way it goes.

“The applicant has chosen the best location furthest away from the houses. A mast we all know is needed, as 5G has limited range.

“A comment from CBC highway officers suggests we should consider what effect this will have on the (nearby) Hallam Land Management application.

“I don’t want us to be encouraged to allow the applicant to move this mast closer to people’s houses to satisfy highways. This is only because of servicing the mast.

“How many times a year do you think someone will turn up to service the mast once it’s built?” he asked. “You can probably count that on one hand.

“Putting the mast at this location is more likely to preserve the rest of the land because it becomes less attractive to developers. Once it’s built, you might want to consider how we can improve the amenity space in that area.”

The scheme also includes six antennas, two satellite dishes and four equipment cabinets.

Town councillor Kevin Brown said: “I’m totally against the mast being placed there. This isn’t the most affluent area of Biggleswade.

“I see children playing on that land in the summer, with little remote controlled cars and kites being flown. It’s the only green space there. All our policies are focused on trying to preserve those green areas in the town.

“Local residents aren’t happy about it. We should think seriously about opposing this. Can they buy land to the north because this mast is needed?”

Town councillor Mark Knight suggested: “That site has a troubled past with unauthorised travellers. Quite regularly there are encampments and then the land isn’t usable by anyone for a while.

“I wonder if the mast may deter travellers form using that land. I would prefer it to be invisible, but we haven’t developed that technology yet. It’s the best location and a way of protecting that site.”

Town councillor Duncan Strachan added: “There’s a substantial area of land there and hopefully the mast will only take up a small part. The amenity area could otherwise be lost to housing or roads in the future.”

Councillors voted to support the application as it provides the signal improvements required locally and is reasonably far away from properties.

CBC’s development management committee will have the final say on the project in due course.