Steel sculpture to replace phone mast in town park

Telecommunications equipment in Friendship Park will be removed over the coming weeks

A phone mast will be replaced with a new public artwork at a park in Market Harborough.

The Friendship Park in Northampton Road opened in May after an unloved and overgrown site was transformed to encourage people to talk about their mental wellbeing.

EE is now working to decommission and remove mobile phone infrastructure at the site before owner Harborough District Council can demolish the mast in the park.

A steel sculpture to take its place will then be designed and sent to the council's planning department for consideration.

EE confirmed it had installed a new mast nearby and was working to remove its equipment "at the landowner's request".

Northampton Road will be closed on Tuesday while work takes place at the park, according to highways authority Leicestershire County Council.

The mast was previously hidden from view by the site's trees and bushes

Councillor for open spaces Darren Woodiwiss said: "We have been working with EE for over two years on their use of the 3G mobile phone mast.

"EE have agreed to vacate the site to remove their equipment, cabin and fencing from the Friendship Park by 10 October.

"The mast, which is owned by the council, will be taken down following removal of all telecoms equipment and will make way for a planned art sculpture which will be installed in the near future."

The Friendship Park project saw volunteers work with the council to turn an overgrown plot into a park with walkways, railings, benches, fruit trees, and wildflower planting.

The community space was "designed for people to gather safely, surrounded by nature, and aim to foster connections between those who use them", said the authority.