After a climbdown when hundreds objected to a 5G tower outside a school, a new site has been chosen — on another side of the primary.

A proposal for a 20-metre tower 50 metres from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School was withdrawn in April last year after a protest was held outside the gates and a petition was signed by 310 people.

Last week, a new planning application was submitted to Three Rivers District Council to build a 20-metre 5G mast in Gosforth Lane instead of Ainsdale Road.

This is further away from the school buildings (around 100 metres) but a similar distance to the playground as the first site had been to the entrance.

Three objection comments from neighbours have been submitted so far, referencing the proximity to the school.

Many of the objections to the masts, including the petition, mention theories about a danger to people’s health from 5G technology.

The planning application provides a document outlining that “there is no cause for concern in regard to health”.

Watford Observer: The application site, in Gosforth Lane.The application site, in Gosforth Lane. (Image: Google Maps/Canva)

It highlights that the World Health Organisation has found no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies “after much research performed”.

Locals also labelled the masts “visually intrusive” and criticised how they ruin green spaces.

Meanwhile, Waldon Telecom, which works on behalf of Vodafone, has highlighted the public benefit in terms of mobile services and the need to place the infrastructure within limited areas in order to best benefit the network.

In this case, the majority of the possible search area is apparently taken up by Oxhey Woods.

Watford Observer: Arrow between the first site, in Ainsdale Road, and the new one in Gosforth Lane.Arrow between the first site, in Ainsdale Road, and the new one in Gosforth Lane. (Image: Google Maps/Canva)

When the Ainsdale Road was first put forwards, Waldon Telecom outlined why each other location had been discounted.

The patch of grass now being proposed was apparently not taken up initially because “although close to the application site, the application site offers better coverage to the target area”, according to network planners.

The land itself is by a bus stop on the other side of the road to the school. It is next to retirement living apartments Catherine House and South Oxhey Baptist Church.