Petition to stop 5G mast being installed in Bushey neighbourhood

Hertsmere Borough Council has been notified of a plan to put in a mast in Bushey which would be 18 metres high.

The parent company of mobile network Three has proposed to put the past on a corner of the junction of Herne Road and Melbourne Road.

A proper planning application is not needed because the installation of masts is covered by permitted development rights - however the applicants must seek prior approval from the council to check that the work is acceptable.

The council can choose to refuse prior approval - as it has done so for previous mast applications in Bushey; in Little Bushey Lane in 2019, and on the corner of Aldenham Road and James Close earlier this year.

Although a petition has been started by an unnamed resident to stop this latest application in Melbourne Road, Bushey St James Conservative ward councillor Harry Mortimer says it is his understanding that council officers will not give prior approval for a mast here.

Cllr Harry Mortimer pictured at the junction of Herne Road and Melbourne Road, just opposite to where an 18 metre 5G mast is proposed

The mast is proposed on the pavement area pictured 

He told the Observer: "By and large, I support the Government's rollout plans for nationwide broadband and 5G network, however this shouldn’t come at any cost.

"With 5G masts being 18 meters high they will massively impact the way our streets look and feel today. Those putting forward mast applications should spend more time researching the local area beforehand, finding better and more suitable locations. Recently I lobbied our MP Oliver Dowden on this topic as this also falls within his ministerial portfolio.

"I was contacted in early April by the telecommunications company about its pre-application for a 5G mast, to be located on a very small patch of land by Herne Road and Melbourne Road.

"Following a talk with my other ward councillors, we decided this needed to go to planning committee for its final decision. Shortly after, I called-in the application, having spoken with officers who informed me about a previous mast turned down on the same road some years ago. I'm told the officers won't be supporting this latest application for the mast."

A 20 metre 5G mast constructed in Southampton by Hutchinson 3G UK Ltd, the same applicants for this mast in Bushey. Credit: Daily Echo

Cllr Mortimer added: "It's very similar to the situation in February, when a resident of Bushey North contacted me about an application for a planned 5G mast on the corner of Aldenham Road and James Close, which I again called-in - and officers turned the application down before it progressed."

More than 100 people have signed the petition which has been created. Within the petition, the proposal for the mast is described as "disturbing" and referenced that it would be situated in the centre of a residential area and less than 200 metres from a primary school.

The petitioner also cites "serious safety concerns" around the use of 5G, which Three has acknowledged and responded to.

A Three spokesperson said: "We are aware that there have been some health concerns raised by those objecting to the mast, however, from a health and safety perspective, 5G deployment is no different to any other mobile technology. All generations of mobile technology used by Three comply with guidelines.

"As a responsible company, we take our obligation to run a safe network very seriously and actively work to ensure that our network remains compliant with international guidelines.”

They added: "5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Bushey. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making this happen.

"While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage."

The petition can be found here. The 5G mast application can be found on Hertsmere Borough Council's planning portal. The reference is 21/0834/PD56O.