5G mast plan rejected by Chesterfield Borough Council

Councillors were told the mast would tower be twice the height of trees currently there

Plans to clear a small area of woodland to make way for a 5G mast have been rejected.

Mobile phone network Three had applied for permission to install a 20-metre (65ft) high mast and cabin in Spital Lane, Chesterfield.

It would have involved pulling down several trees by the side of the road.

Members of Chesterfield Borough Council's planning committee voted unanimously against the proposal on Monday.

Heritage concern

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the authority's development management and conservation manager Paul Staniforth gave evidence at the meeting.

"It [the mast] will be very visible because it will be twice the height of the trees at the end of the street," he said.

He added the siting would detract from a Grade II-listed barn on Spital Lane, "taking the eye away from what is an attractive heritage asset".

About 380 people had signed a petition against the plan, with some objecting to the visual impact and others voicing concern about potential health risks.

However a report into the application stated: "There is no reliable evidence to date that exposure to the electromagnetic radiation associated with mobile phones and similar technologies can lead to a significant health risk."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].