Beacon Fell: Residents 'horrified' by 130ft phone mast plans

Joanna Sebborn is campaigning against the phone mast proposed for Beacon Fell

More than 1,500 people have opposed plans to put up a 130-ft (40m) phone mast in a beauty spot.

Telecoms firm Cornerstone wants to put the mast in the Beacon Fell Country Park in Goosnargh.

One campaigner claimed too few people had been consulted about the plan and that more would be "horrified" if they knew about the proposals.

But Preston City Council said it had gone "over and above" to let people know about it.

Coronerstone has said the mast would improve mobile reception and 4G broadband coverage in rural areas.

But Goosnargh resident Joanna Sebborn claimed letters had not gone out to the local community informing them of the plans.

One of Ms Sebborn's posters that she has pinned around Beacon Fell

Beacon Fell is located in the Forest of Bowland, which has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Rangers who look after the country park have now marked out the area that would be taken up by the 1070-sq-ft (100-sq-m) compound for the proposed kit.

"It can be seen from Longridge Fell and Parlick Fell, and for miles around. It's going to be a real blot on the landscape," Ms Sebborn said.

She added everyone she had spoken to had about the plan been against it.

Local resident Michael Moir said: "You don't want huge chunks of metal in a place like this. It'd be very out of place and I don't think anyone who comes up here would want it to be there."

Five trees would have to be removed to for the phone mast, but others would be planted elsewhere.

Resident Michael Moir said other walkers "won't want the mast" in the area

Cornerstone has said that the "lattice-style" structure of the tower was chosen because it was "visually permeable and will help the mast blend into its backdrop from medium to long-range views".

Preston Rural North city council ward member Sue Whittam told the LDRS that she was "very unhappy" about the "size and scale" of such a mast in an AONB.

"I will be doing everything I can to support the residents and the parish council to stop this going ahead," Councillor Whittam said.

Preston City Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it had posted notices about the plan at the edge of the site itself and in nearby country park car parks.

Cornerstone was approached for comment.