Residents 'horrified' after mast installed near homes

Residents of Ivy Crescent, Berkshire are "horrified" by the Tetra mast

Residents say they are "sick to their stomachs" after the erection of a Tetra mast near their homes in Slough.

The 20m (65ft) communications mast has been put up in the grounds of Westgate Retail Park, next to Ivy Crescent.

It is set to be used by emergency services, but resident Simon Cooksey said people living in the area want to get it removed.

The company that installed the mast, Airwave Solutions, said it had complied with all relevant planning rules.

Simon Cooksey believes the mast has been put up without consultation

The mast has been erected in the loading bay for the store, Dunelm.

Mr Cooksey said residents were "horrified" and believe it has been installed "without consultation or community involvement".

He said residents trying to sell their homes are now concerned the mast will impact on house prices.

Mr Cooksey added: “As a community we want to get it removed, there are multiple places it could be put without affecting residential communities.”

Lou Calvarese said he believes properties in Ivy Crescent will now be "unsellable"

Lou Calvarese said he felt "sick to his stomach" when he first saw the Tetra mast.

His parents have lived in the road for more than 40 years and the mast is 17m (55ft) from their bedroom window.

Mr Calvarese believes it will mean their property is "unsellable".

He added: “It’s changed the whole appearance of the street. No one was notified, even the council don’t seem to know about it.”

Slough Borough Council said it had been made aware of the mast being erected and that it is currently investigating whether there has been a breach of planning.

A spokesperson for Airwave said: "Airwave infrastructure provides vital radio communications for the emergency services. In building and managing the necessary infrastructure, Airwave complies with all relevant planning rules."