Residents' victory in fight to stop 5G mast being installed near Horsham school

Phone company Three Mobile were seeking approval from Horsham District Council to site the 18m tall mast near Greenway Junior School.

But hundreds of worried residents wrote protest letters to the council and launched a petition against the proposal.

Now Three Mobile has announced that it has withdrawn its application.

Many people had earlier raised fears that the mast could pose health risks and others had concerns over it being a blot on the local landscape.

One resident, in a letter, to the council said: “This antenna should not be positioned next to a school. If there is no health risk why can’t it be installed in the council office grounds?”

Another described placing the mast near a school was ‘irresponsible.’ They said: “Although it may be asserted that electro magnetic radiation levels are at a safe level, the long term effects of EMR cannot be fully ascertained yet as the technology is in its infancy.”

Many were concerned that mast would be ‘an eyesore.’ One said: “The footpath in that area is very narrow and there is minimal parking.This will make it worse causing more danger around children attending the school. The area is very residential and this is a very tall mast. It will be an eyesore in the area.”

Horsham Councillor Tony Hogben, cabinet member for Horsham Town, also raised ‘serious concerns’ about the mast.

Rachel Diamond who launched a ‘Stop the Greenway mobile mast’ petition was delighted that Three Mobile had withdrawn their application. “It’s officially over,” she said, adding: “I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Have you read? Parents fight for changes to Horsham school amid fears for children’s education

Sussex village pub in search for new landlord

Earlier, Three Mobile had sought to reassure residents over the safety of 5G masts. A spokesperson said: “We are aware that there have been some concerns raised, however, from a health and safety perspective, 5G deployment is no different to any other mobile technology.

"All generations of mobile technology used by Three comply with guidelines to ensure that no harmful levels of radiation are emitted.

"As a responsible company, we take our obligation to run a safe network very seriously and actively work to ensure that our network remains compliant with international guidelines.”