Plans for a 5G mast in Earlsdon have been refused by officers over concerns that it was too close to homes. A report stated that plans for the 15m mast at The Chesils would be a ‘conspicuous and incongruous development of inappropriate scale and massing, that is out of keeping with the context and scale of the surrounding residential area’.

The area that was suggested for the mast was a ‘prominent location at a junction and in close proximity to two-storey residential properties’, a decision notice states. It adds that the applicant ‘failed to demonstrate that there are no technically feasible less harmful alternatives available’.

More than 30 objections to the plans were received by the city council, the report adds. Neighbours raised concerns about health implications, the impact on the character of the area, housing and wildlife, and said it was too close to nurseries.

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5G masts continue to be controversial in Coventry and elsewhere. While many people generally recognise the necessity of them and the high-speed communications benefits they provide, arguments generally focus on where they should be placed. Councillors have previously spoken about how to balance the need for communications with the impact on residents .

Last week plans for three 5G masts across the city were approved by the planning committee. These were in Orchard Court, Wyken, the junction of Lucerne Close and Eburne Road in Longford and Quinton Road, Cheylesmore. The decision split the committee, with a number of councillors voting against or abstaining, but ultimately all three plans were approved.

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