(From Press Office)
APP/C1435/A/07/2048267/NWF
This has not yet made the local press, but on Nov 2nd O2's appeal against refusal by Wealden District Council to grant permission for a mast in the village of Nutley was dismissed.
O2 has tried for several years to put a mast up in the village or on the outskirts and has previously lost two appeals.
In the latest application , O2 wanted to put a fake scots pine in the village amongst a stand of large deciduous trees.
Local Parish Council Maresfield came out strongly against the application, citing technical errors in O2's submission and apparent lack of rigour in examining options for other sites.
Despite this, Wealden District Council officers recommended approval and when this came to planning committee at Wealden, members voted unanimously against.
It was clear using 3D topography software (ArcGIS from ESRI), and terrain information from the Ordnance Survey that the siting of the mast was not optimal and there was a site outside and to the north east of the village which could have used a fake tree solution.
The Inspector upheld the original decision on the grounds of inappropriate siting/appearance in an AONB and O2's lack of review of alternative sites.
In Wealden District Council's further submission to the appeal, officers suggested that a site close to the appeal site using a smaller mast, combined with one or two streetworks poles in the village, could be a suitable solution.
Charlie Stevenson
Chairman, Maresfield Parish Council Planning Committee
(Though not speaking on behalf of the Parish Council)
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Wealden
