Councillors narrowly reject 27-metre 5G mast near Ipswich homes

Why it matters: The decision marks a narrow win for residents who argued the upgraded mast would be visible for miles and out of keeping with the area, despite the mobile industry warning that existing infrastructure cannot keep up with demand from new homes.

The details: The proposals were brought forward by mobile and digital infrastructure provider Cornerstone and discussed at Ipswich Borough Council's planning committee meeting on Wednesday, 29 April.

• The 27-metre mast would have replaced existing telecommunications infrastructure in Kiln Close.
• It was proposed alongside nine antennas and one transmission dish.
• Councillors voted five to four to reject the plans, in line with the officer's recommendation of refusal.

What they're saying: Michal Laskowski, the agent, told councillors that demand for services created by new homes was putting extra pressure on existing infrastructure. He said the new mast would improve signal strength, capacity and reliability while maintaining coverage in the area now and into the future.

His comments were echoed by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, which said more than half of the businesses it surveyed had trouble with unreliable mobile signal in what it called 4G "not spots".

The other side: Council planners said although the mast would extend 5G coverage, it would be both "visually intrusive" and an "alien feature" in the area.

This mirrored concerns raised by nearby residents, with 55 separate objections submitted since last month following a local leaflet campaign urging neighbours to oppose the application before the 14 April deadline.

The flyer, headed "Your neighbourhood needs you", told residents the existing 15-metre mast would be replaced with a 27-metre tower on elevated ground, taking it to 35 metres above street level – which campaigners said was taller than a 10-storey building. It also disputed the application's classification of the site, arguing it should be treated as residential rather than industrial.

John Bushell, one of the objectors, told councillors that residents had already had to deal with several upgrades in the past.

"This site cannot accommodate a mast taller than the one that is already there," he said. "What is proposed is not the same kind of change – this is transformation, not evolution."

Councillor Inga Lockington, the ward member, echoed his concerns and warned the new mast would be visible for miles around it.

One resident speaking to Ipswich.co.uk called it an "appalling eyesore".

The bigger picture: The plans split councillors, with some arguing the upgrades were needed while others believed the harm they would cause outweighed the potential benefits.

The bottom line: Residents have narrowly succeeded in halting the latest proposed upgrade to mobile infrastructure in their neighbourhood, but the underlying tension between expanding 5G coverage and protecting the look and feel of residential streets is unlikely to disappear.

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