ALL but one planning application for new 5G masts to be built in Chester has been rejected by the council since the start of the year.

Telecoms firms on behalf of CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd have been tasked with helping to roll out the 5G network across the city, boosting the signal over the coming months.

Documents from a range of applicants say 5G networks are "crucial to drive productivity and growth across the sectors that local areas are focusing on through their emerging Local Industrial Strategies", and 5G networks will "bring faster, more responsive and reliable connections than ever before".

Safety guidance attached to the applications also allays radiation concerns, saying mobile 5G is broadcast using radio waves at frequencies between that of commonly used Wi-Fi connections, lower than that of remote-controlled devices and at the lower end of what microwaves emit.

But the locations and sizes of the new masts have resulted in a series of community backlashes, who say the masts will be visually dominant and stand out as eyesores.

In the first four months of the year, just one formal application for a 5G mast has been approved by Cheshire West and Chester Council in the Chester area, with six rejected. The council has said prior approval from the local authority is required for applications of this type.

The approved one was for a 16-metre 5G mast on Stadium Way, opposite the Matalan entrance.

Correspondence on the council's planning portal reveals planning officers had advised applicants CEP Telecoms that the application had a greater chance of succeeding if the proposed mast height was reduced from its original 18 metres. The application was approved in late March.

The 5G masts rejected are:

  • A 20-metre mast on the grass verge at Victoria Crescent/Queens Park Road, Handbridge, had 123 objections and a petition submitted against the proposal, with residents objecting to the siting, the proximity of the mast to Queens Park High School and Chester International School, it looking an 'eyesore' and the site being on a grass verge which had been given to the local community to look after. The application was rejected in early March.
  • An 18-metre mast on Liverpool Road at the Bache Morrisons Roundabout, which received three objections from residents, citing concerns he visual intrusion of the mast could cause accidents on the roundabout. The application was rejected in late March.
  • An 18-metre mast on the footway of Thirlmere Road, Hoole, at the junction of Mannings Lane South, which received 20 objections from residents. Concerns were raised about the excess height and the mast having a negative impact on the historic bridge and local greenway corridor. The application was rejected in April.
  • A 17-metre mast on Christleton Road, Boughton, near The Peacock Hotel, which received one objection from a resident and an objection from highways, saying the development would compromise the width of the footway and, as a result, highway safety. A council planning officer said the mast would have a "harmful visual impact". The application was rejected in April.
  • A 16-metre mast in Blacon Point Road, near the junction of Ashmuir Close, had no objections from residents, but a planning officer said "the proposed development is considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area". The application was rejected in mid-March.
  • A 15-metre mast on the grass verge at Vicars Cross Road, Great Boughton, near the junction with Bridge Terrace, received two objections from residents, saying the mast would be too close to a residential area and 'ugly'. A council planning officer said the development would be "highly visible" and "would appear as an overly dominant and incongruous structure". The application was rejected in mid-April.

Further applications for 5G masts have since been submitted to the council – one for a 15-metre mast at the junction of Appleyards Lane and Hartington Street, Handbridge, and the A41 Moston Road, near the junction of Flag Lane South.

At the time of writing, the new Handbridge application has had about 75 objections, while the A41 application has received no comments so far.