Vodafone to erect phone mast near Risley Moss

The 12.3 metre-high Vodafone pole got the go-ahead at a development control meeting last Wednesday despite facing fierce opposition from Birchwood Town councillors and 145 residents concerned with the health implications of a mast close to their homes.

Clr Russell Bowden listed a raft of reasons why the mast should not be sited on Moss Gate, near to the nature reserve Risley Moss.

He said: “It raises issues of location, particularly as it is near to schools and playgrounds. It is directly at the entrance to Birchwood Forest Park, a major recreational area, and it is directly adjacent to a children’s play ground – there are recommendations for masts not to be near where children may be.

“It is also in a semi-urban area in quite close proximity to homes.”

He added: “A similar proposal was rejected by development control in 2004, which was very close by to this one on grounds of visual amenity and green space.”

Clr Bowden also raised the point that there are already 15 existing mobile phone masts in Birchwood.

But a spokesman for Vodafone said the new mast, which would be disguised as a street light, was necessary as the others could not be shared and falls under a Government drive to ensure maximum network coverage.

He added: “The nearest schools are 340-metres away and there are a lot of trees that provide a reasonable level of cover from houses as well as the park.”

Councillors were also told that the previous application was refused on height grounds, being 42 per cent taller than the current proposal.

Chief planning officer John Groves told councillors that the mast was not a planning application but a conditional requirement to give the committee a chance to criticise the proposal if it was not aesthetic, highlighting that the pole would be screened by trees.

After some discussion, councillors gave their seal of approval to the mast, which will provide 3G coverage to Gorse Covert.