Group ‘delighted’ as plan for new 5G mast in Eastbourne town centre is refused

The proposed site for the ‘street pole’ and equipment cabinets was 100-104 South Street.

Some residents had voiced their objections to the plan under the application on the Eastbourne Borough Council website.

Following the decision Suzie Tomkins said: “Our group, 5G Eastbourne Is It Safe, together with many residents and retailers in the immediate area of the proposed site are delighted with this outcome.

“We distributed over 1,000 leaflets in the area and spoke to many people in the process.

“The general consensus we found as a result of our 5G mast proposal awareness/leafletting campaign was that people are satisfied with the current level of connectivity in the town, they do not want a telecoms mast to be installed near their home or workplace.”

In the application H3G (Three) was named.

A document submitted on behalf of Cignal Infrastructure UK Limited had said: "The proposed site option is considered the best available compromise between extending 5G service across the target 'coverage hole' with the selected street works pole height and associated antenna and ground-based cabinets restricted to the minimum height which is capable of providing the required essential coverage."

It later added: "Such development will facilitate educational benefits, providing access to vital services, improving communications with the associated commercial benefits for local businesses, enabling e-commerce and working from home as well as enjoying access to social media and gaming.”

On the application it said a 5G ‘rollout’ was vital for residents and businesses in Eastbourne.

It added: “We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making that happen. Masts need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We carry out extensive searches and evaluate a wide range of options before submitting any planning applications.”

A group of residents had said they were 'hugely relieved’ back in September 2022 after plans for a 5G mast in Dukes Drive was also refused.

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