Bid for 5G masts on Halesowen building get go ahead

EE Ltd and Hutchison 3G UK Ltd are set to turn Halesowen Automatic Telephone Exchange (ATE) on Whitehall Road, next to homes and opposite the Travelodge hotel, into a 5G base station to improve coverage in the area.

Twelve antennas will be installed across three masts which will sit six metres above the roof - a maximum of 25 metres from the ground on the building - replacing antennas and telecommunication equipment already on the roof.

The bid was approved despite being met with concern from some residents, with James Morris MP penning a letter to planners.

He said: "Residents have raised concerns over the citing and appearance of the proposed telecommunications equipment on the grounds that it would be in close proximity to residential properties and that the apparatus would be visually detrimental to the area.

"I am passing on their concerns to you."

A Cobham Road resident objected saying: "We are all 100 per cent against this monstrosity as it already looks like Jodrell Bank.

"It's devaluing our properties already and we have been trying to get it removed for years."

The application states: "The applicants are seeking to upgrade and enhance their network services in the area by installing infrastructure that will allow them to fulfil their licence obligations and deliver new 5G technologies to this area."

The prior approval application was given the go-ahead.

Pictured: An image of how the masts will look by Cellnex UK

A report states: "The visual impact of the new structure would not be sufficiently detrimental to the visual amenities to warrant refusal of the application.

"The applicant has also demonstrated through the submission of an ICNIRP certificate that the structure will not cause harm to health."

The prior approval application was given the go-ahead on May 20.

The site is in Halesowen South ward. 

Pic: Google