Published: Sunday, 13th June, 2010 4:00pm

Fight is on to challenge mast application

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RESIDENTS say they are gearing up to fight an application for a phone mast.

Plans to build a 41ft (12.5m) phone mast on the corner of Coronation Road and Woodlands ride have been met with criticism as residents believe it breaks planning guidelines and may be harmful.

One neighbour said: "We're going to fight this, it's going to be horrendous. The phone mast will dominate the area and is in a most unsuitable location."

Plans for the phone mast have been put forward by Vodafone to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Another resident who wishes not to be named said: "First of all it is breaking both government and local planning guidelines.

"Local planning states that it should mitigate visual intrusion yet the phone mast will be in this beautiful road next to a lovely wall which is 125 years old."

The mast will be placed on the pavement along with three cabinets and residents are concerned that there will be no room to walk.

Objections to the Royal Borough about the phone mast are not allowed to be made on health grounds since current evidence has not shown radio waves can have a negative impact on a persons health.

The proposed site of the mast is opposite St Francis Primary School, which is also objecting to the plans.

The school, which is supporting the community, will be lobbying the local MP Adam Afriyie and writing to the Royal Borough to lodge a complaint, as well as sending letters to all parents.

Jane Frapwell, a spokeswoman for Vodafone, said: "We have put a planning application in and we are currently talking to planning officers about the site.

"For the amount of phones and broadband we support we have to have a mast where people live and work. We do try to minimise the visual impact the equipment has and this mast is a 12.5ft mono-pole which is designed to blend in with the surroundings."

Details of the plans can be found on the Royal Borough website at www.rbwm.gov.uk under application number 10/01093.

To comment on the plans email planning.maidenhead@rbwm.gov.uk or send a letter to Royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Town Hall St Ives Road, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 1RF by June 14.

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