'Incongruous’ telecoms mast approved at appeal for Ashbrooke area of Sunderland

The national Planning Inspectorate has allowed an appeal for a 5G telecoms installation on a section of greenspace near the Queen Alexandra Road and Tunstall Road roundabout in Ashbrooke.

Plans from CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd, submitted last year, included a 15-metre-high street pole and additional equipment cabinets linked to H3G, which is known as company ‘Three’.

The application for ‘prior approval’ formed part of the company’s plan to expand its 5G network.

During council consultation on the plans however, the application sparked opposition from neighbours and local St Michael’s ward councillors with concerns raised about the visual impact of the telecoms structure.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department refused the application in January, 2023, and said the plan would cause “demonstrable harm to the visual amenity and character and appearance of the area”.

This included the development’s “scale, siting, and design introducing an obtrusive and over dominant feature into the streetscene”.

Following the ruling the applicant lodged an appeal and a planning inspector was appointed by the Secretary of State to rule on the matter.

In an appeal decision report dated July 6, 2023, the planning inspector allowed the appeal and granted approval for the plans.

Despite acknowledging the 5G installation would “represent an incongruous structure that would appear discordant with the wider streetscene” it was noted that there were no alternative sites available.

The appeal decision report added: “The proposed installation is needed to enable the operator to provide improved 5G network coverage in the surrounding area.

“The appellant has identified a target/search area and has assessed six alternative sites capable of providing the required coverage.

“The alternative sites have been discounted for reasons including their location in a dense residential area, unsuitable pavements and visibility splays.

“The search area predominantly comprises dense residential development on relatively narrow streets, with limited availability of non-private land.

“Consequently, the effects of the development on all of the identified alternatives would in all likelihood be similar to the proposed location, and I am not in possession of any evidence that a preferable location is available”.

In making a decision on the appeal the planning inspector said “considerable weight” had been given to planning rules around ‘permitted developments’.

The planning inspector noted that the rules “establish the acceptance of telecommunications equipment” which would “outweigh the harm to the character and appearance of the area”.

Based on evidence before the planning inspector, it was noted that “the proposed location [Queen Alexandra Road] appeared the most suitable to provide the required improvements to network coverage”.

Councillor Michael Dixon, St Michael’s ward councillor, said he was “perplexed” by the appeal decision given the planning inspector’s comments about the proposal’s visual impacts.

This included an acknowledgement of the 5G installation’s siting and appearance resulting in “harm to the character and appearance of the area” and the structure being “discordant” with the wider street scene.

Cllr Dixon added: “In effect the report is saying that while the site off Queen Alexandra Road is unsuitable, basically this is outweighed by there being no alternative ones available.

“There will be the benefit of improved coverage which is the one positive outcome, but to allow this application through going against the recommendations of the local planners, will be a massive disappointment to those residents who, rightly in my opinion, objected to these proposals.

“In time, they will now have to look at, or live near, to quote the inspector, an ‘incongruous’ structure, every day.”

A Three spokesperson previously said that “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Sunderland”.

It was noted that to “reduce the visual impact of the mast, we proposed installing our latest design, which utilises a slimmer design that minimises its height and size”.

More information about the appeal decision can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.