PLANS have been submitted for a new 5G phone mast near a high street. 

The proposed 20m street pole and additional equipment cabinets would be located in Gloucester Road, Stonehouse, near the high street, if approved by Stroud District Council. 

According to Mobile UK 5G provides much faster internet speeds. 

Stroud News and Journal:

"H3G (Three) is committed to providing improved network coverage and capacity, most notably in relation to 5G services," said an agent from Three in a statement as part of the application. 

"It is recognised that high-speed mobile connectivity is the lifeblood of a community.

"High-speed mobile connectivity facilitates educational benefits, provides access to vital services, improves communications with the associated commercial benefits for local businesses, enables e-commerce and facilitates the increased need and demand for working from home, as well as enjoying access to social, media and gaming for leisure time activities.

"The pre-consultation invited comments within a two-week period and while the merits of highspeed telecommunications are generally recognised, pre-application has identified the need to carefully consider the risk of increased visual amenity to adjoining residential properties through the siting of telecommunications infrastructure within urban settings.

"It is our opinion that the proposed design presents a better ‘fit’ within the local community and immediate street scape, offering a reduced visual impact upon an area of adopted highway identified, as situated out with a conservation area or other such restrictive designation.

"The very nature of installing new 5G mast infrastructure within such an urban setting requires a highly considered balance between the need to extend practical coverage reach with that of increasing risk of visual amenity intrusion.

"In this location, existing mast sites are not capable of supporting additional equipment compliment to extend coverage reach across the target area and prospective ‘in-fill’ mast sites are extremely limited.

"There is an acute need for a new base station to provide effective service coverage and in this case, the height of the proposed street pole is the minimum required to bring the benefits of 5G to this area."

The application - which is awaiting a decision - was made on Friday, December 9. 

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