New mast fight
A campaign to stop a mobile phone mast being built at a college sports ground is finally over but residents now have a new fight on their hands.
Government inspector Richard Ogierok rejected T-Mobile's appeal for consent to put a 30ft flagpole-style mast at Brasenose College's ground off Abingdon Road, in Oxford. Residents celebrated their victory but are now battling to stop a mast being built at the Marlborough House pub on the corner of Marlborough Road and Western Road, close to St Ebbe's Primary School.
T-Mobile has permitted development rights and does not need planning permission for the pub mast. continued...
The Chester Arms in Chester Street, East Oxford, is also set to have a T-Mobile mast.
Frances Townend, who lives in Chilswell Road, South Oxford, said: "I am absolutely delighted the mast at Brasenose has been stopped. But now residents have a new fight on their hands appealing against the one in Western Road, which is right opposite St Ebbe's School."
Planning inspector Mr Ogier rejected T-Mobile's appeal to put a mast at Brasenose because he said it would be inappropriately sited within the Green Belt.
He said: "It has not been demonstrated that very special circumstances exist sufficient to clearly outweigh the harm that would be done to the purposes and character of the Green Belt."
T-Mobile first applied to put up the mast in Brasenose College sports ground in 2004.
The move was rejected, but the decision was annulled following administrative blunders.
Consent was only given because T-Mobile was not told of Oxford City Council's decision within the Government deadline of 56 working days.
The telecommunications firm later agreed to reapply for permission after talks with council chiefs.
A second application was rejected by councillors in November last year, followed by an appeal and the Government inspector's rejection. Labour group leader Bob Price, councillor for Hinksey Park, said it was great news but added: "The mast in Marlborough Road is a big issue for us still.
"It didn't require planning permission and it crept through without anybody knowing about it. There are lots of concerns in health terms and the visual impact on the pub."
A T-Mobile spokesman said the masts proposed for the two pubs were only in the planning stages and the firm was keen to work with residents.
He said: "We are disappointed with the outcome (at Brasenose) as we worked hard to come up with the right design for the area to be as environmentally acceptable as possible.
But he warned: "As for the future we are looking at our options. The problem is we have to provide a service for this area."
© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.782208.0.new_mast_fight.php
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I love this one! The LPA misses the 56-day deadline for a decision on prior
approval and thus approval is deermed - the LPA (now guilty of
maladministration) asks T-Mobile to be the good guys and reapply - the
operator does so and the application is refused - T-Mobile then go to
appeal, which is dismissed.
David
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
Government inspector Richard Ogierok rejected T-Mobile's appeal for consent to put a 30ft flagpole-style mast at Brasenose College's ground off Abingdon Road, in Oxford. Residents celebrated their victory but are now battling to stop a mast being built at the Marlborough House pub on the corner of Marlborough Road and Western Road, close to St Ebbe's Primary School.
T-Mobile has permitted development rights and does not need planning permission for the pub mast. continued...
The Chester Arms in Chester Street, East Oxford, is also set to have a T-Mobile mast.
Frances Townend, who lives in Chilswell Road, South Oxford, said: "I am absolutely delighted the mast at Brasenose has been stopped. But now residents have a new fight on their hands appealing against the one in Western Road, which is right opposite St Ebbe's School."
Planning inspector Mr Ogier rejected T-Mobile's appeal to put a mast at Brasenose because he said it would be inappropriately sited within the Green Belt.
He said: "It has not been demonstrated that very special circumstances exist sufficient to clearly outweigh the harm that would be done to the purposes and character of the Green Belt."
T-Mobile first applied to put up the mast in Brasenose College sports ground in 2004.
The move was rejected, but the decision was annulled following administrative blunders.
Consent was only given because T-Mobile was not told of Oxford City Council's decision within the Government deadline of 56 working days.
The telecommunications firm later agreed to reapply for permission after talks with council chiefs.
A second application was rejected by councillors in November last year, followed by an appeal and the Government inspector's rejection. Labour group leader Bob Price, councillor for Hinksey Park, said it was great news but added: "The mast in Marlborough Road is a big issue for us still.
"It didn't require planning permission and it crept through without anybody knowing about it. There are lots of concerns in health terms and the visual impact on the pub."
A T-Mobile spokesman said the masts proposed for the two pubs were only in the planning stages and the firm was keen to work with residents.
He said: "We are disappointed with the outcome (at Brasenose) as we worked hard to come up with the right design for the area to be as environmentally acceptable as possible.
But he warned: "As for the future we are looking at our options. The problem is we have to provide a service for this area."
© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.782208.0.new_mast_fight.php
--------
I love this one! The LPA misses the 56-day deadline for a decision on prior
approval and thus approval is deermed - the LPA (now guilty of
maladministration) asks T-Mobile to be the good guys and reapply - the
operator does so and the application is refused - T-Mobile then go to
appeal, which is dismissed.
David
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
rudkla - 4. Jun, 13:59
