Plans to build five-storey tall 5G mast in Wakefield village are approved

It is set to be built on Silcoates Lane in Wrenthorpe after the proposals were approved by Wakefield Council’s planning committee.

The mast – and others like it around the country – are seen by the government and mobile infrastructure companies as essential to modernisating the UK’s mobile phone networks.

But neighbouring residents have often raised concerns, with 30 letters of objection levelled against the Wrenthorpe plan.

A comment posted to Wakefield Council’s planning committee said: “Why anyone would see fit to place this eyesore next to a children's play area is beyond me! We have perfectly good internet and communication services in the area so what exactly is the point in this potentially dangerous eyesore? To download something a few seconds quicker?!”

Another said: “I don't agree with the location, it is next to the children’s park, why would anyone want to take their babies to the park to sit under a 20m mast.

"It will also be an unsightly view. I am sure there are other locations more suitable and out of the way.”

Ward councillor and former Mayor of Wakefield Coun Charles Keith also commented on the application raising concerns about the scale and position of the tower.

But six comments were received in support of the application.

One resident said: “5G infrastructure is very much welcome in the neighbourhood, we need better connectivity for the future residents of the village.

“The health risk of the newer towers is greatly reduced with the advancement in technology and they use far less power to deliver the same kind of signal strength compared to old cell phone towers.

"I fully support this installation as it poses no risk to the children using the park.”

In a letter written to local authority chief executives in May 2021, the then Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Wareham sought to lessen public concern over 5G.

He said: “We know that some constituents have expressed concerns about the potential harmful effects on human health of 5G.

"Public Health England (PHE), the government’s independent advisers on matters of public health, is clear that there is no credible evidence of a negative impact of mobile technology, including 5G on people’s health.”

Wakefield’s Council’s planning officers’ report cites statistics from Ofcom’s Online Nation 2020 Report (June 2020), that states mobile devices are now the most common method by which people access the internet.

It notes that since the pandemic more people work from home and better internet connection is more crucial than ever.

The application is not the first time that people in Wakefield have objected to a new mast.

In June 2021 plans to build in Lupset were scrapped following protests by residents.

But only months later, in November, the decision was overturned by the government.

At that time planning officers at Wakefield Council said the structure would be an eyesore "at odds" with the surrounding area when they turned the plans down in June 2021.

But government officials, who looked at the case after the developers appealed, disagreed with the assessment and overturned the decision.

In their findings, the Planning Inspectorate described the mast as "essential" and said the need for "an electronic communications system should not be questioned".