READING EAST MP Matt Rodda has joined the calls for a mobile phone company to rethink the position of a proposed 5G phone mast.
He has written to Reading Borough Council to object to the plan for a 20-metre tall structure to be installed on land near Clayfield Copse on Caversham Park Road.
CK Hutchinson, the owner of Three UK Ltd, made the application on January 20, but residents are hoping to get the work put on hold.
Mr Rodda said there are concerns the mast would have significant visual impact in a residential area where the nearest building is only six metres tall.
Regarding the mast’s location, he said: “Clayfield Copse was Reading’s first designated Nature Reserve and comprises of areas of ancient woodland, hazel coppice, wildflower meadows.
“I believe that a 20 metre high mast on the edge of Clayfield Copse would have an extremely negative visual impact on the views to and from the Nature Reserve’.
The MP has raised concerns over previous applications for other sites in his constituency, saying that some would be inappropriately sited and often involve the siting of masts 15 metres tall or higher in low rise areas, where they tower over nearby buildings and beauty spots.
In these locations, masts are often twice as high as the tallest buildings in these areas. For reference, the average two storey house is approximately six metres tall, and the smallest suburban lamp posts are five metres tall.
The Clayfield Copse application is still open for consultation and residents are able to leave their comments on the council’s planning portal, by searching for application no: 230071.
