Peterborough residents call for 'ugly' 5G phone mast to be relocated

Sue Hamilton said the mast, which towers above her bungalow, has a constant hum which she can hear all the time

A group of residents who claim a phone mast is too high, too loud, and too close to their homes are campaigning for it to be moved.

The 17m-tall (55ft) 5G mast on Coniston Road, Gunthorpe, Peterborough, was erected in January.

Resident Pauline Hinchliffe says the pole is "grotesque and an eyesore" and claims it is in the wrong place.

Peterborough City Council said it was "erected in accordance with the approved plans".

Pauline Hinchliffe and other residents will take their campaign to relocate the mast to a full council meeting

Ms Hinchcliffe said: "It isn't right to put this ugly monopole right next to someone's building and next to low bungalows and we want to get rid of this ugly thing.

"The council failed in its aim to prevent the mast causing visual harm and nuisance to the character and appearance of the surrounding area."

The mast, which was put up to improve mobile phone signal in the area, was erected close to Sue Hamilton's garden fence.

She said: "We were told it would be in line with the lamp posts and it's not, it looks like it's in my back garden and it makes a constant humming noise, which we can hear all the time."

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Ms Hamilton believes the noise comes from the cooling fans in the pole's transmitter cabinet.

The mast is centimetres from a garden fence

Three, the phone provider that erected it, said: "5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Gunthorpe.

"Masts need to be situated near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage."

A council spokesman said residents were notified when the application was first submitted.

"The revised site layout plan has been published on the council's online planning register since 17 October 2022 and the mast erected is in accordance with the approved plans," he said.

"The original and amended proposals showed the same design of mast."

The residents plan to take their campaign for the relocation of the mast to the next full city council meeting, which is on Wednesday.