Councillors reject 'street clutter' phone mast months after approving another in same street in Bushey

JN Planning Consultations submitted plans to Hertsmere Borough Council to replace the 10m telecommunications pole opposite 123 Little Bushey Lane with a 12 metre pole and associated equipment cabinets.

Planning officers refused the mast on the grounds that it would be visually dominant and have an adverse impact on the street scene.

In the report released by the borough council on October 27, planning officer June Taylor said the height of the proposed additional equipment cabinet would result in a development that fails to blend into the urban landscape.

Although no petitions were signed to object to this replacement pole, residents said they have sent in letters of complaints.

The decision comes after a 15 metre pole opposite 117 Little Bushey Lane was approved in April despite objections.

Elizabeth Tomlins, who campaigned to stop the building of the 15 metre pole, said: “If the council refused the 12 metre one, why did they let the 15 metre one pass?

“It was refused as being ‘street clutter’ but the bigger, more intrusive 15 metre was accepted and the size of the buildings are all wrong.”

Applications for telephone masts do not follow the same procedure as other planning application according to the council’s policy and are subject to prior approval.

This means that as long as the mast is 15 metres tall or under, it is automatically permitted.

Planning officers can only consider the siting or appearance of the mast.

CTIL and Telefonica and Vodafone Ltd submitted an application for the 15 metre telephone mast in April this year.

Initially the plans were given the go ahead as they met the prior approval policy. However, it has since come to light that the company breached planning law by building the associated cabinets larger than on their original plans.

A retrospective plan has now been submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council, to be heard at a planning meeting.