Phone firm tries again for new mast

Sep 11 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ANOTHER planning application has been submitted for a phone mast at Burghmuir Road.

Just three months after the development control committee knocked back mobile phone giant Vodafone’s plans to erect a 12m mast opposite the junction of Firbank and Burghmuir roads, the company have reapplied.

This time, the application features a 15m high mast, which developers say will be painted grey to mimic street lights, along with an electrical mains pillar and two other structures.

The previous application was denied on the grounds that it would create an “over provision” of masts in the area – consent has already been granted to another phone network yards along the road – and that Vodafone failed to show that they had exhausted all opportunities to mast share.

Councillor Alexander Stewart, leader of the Conservative Group on Perth and Kinross Council and one of the representatives of Perth City South ward, reacted in astonishment at the revised application for a telephone mast in Burghmuir Road.

Councillor Stewart exclaimed: “I cannot believe this application. Having been rejected originally, Vodaphone and O2 have actually come back with a revised application which is more intrusive than the original.

“Why on earth would they expect this to be acceptable when it is three metres higher than the original mast that was proposed?

“Do they think we have forgotten their rejected application or that this would be accepted in a revised format?

“This company must think that the constituents do not follow very closely the issues that affect their day to day lives if they think the wool can be pulled over their eyes.

“I am intrigued to see what they are putting forward and I will be monitoring this situation.”

A spokesperson for Vodafone told the PA: “Our customers expect to be able to use their mobile phones and devices where they live, work and travel. Accordingly, we have identified the need to improve the 3G coverage in Perth and to meet this need we proposed a new mast on Burghmuir Road.

“Following a period of pre-application consultation, we submitted a planning application for a new mast and were disappointed when the application was refused by Perth and Kinross Council in June 2009, especially after the proposal had been recommended for approval by the Council’s planning officer.

“Earlier this year we announced that we have entered into an agreement with O2 to share network assets wherever we can, which will reduce the overall number of new base station locations for both parties and therefore reduce deployment costs.

“As part of this agreement, O2 have decided that they wish to share the proposed site at Burghmuir Road and we have proceeded with a new planning application that includes both ourselves and O2.

“As part of the review of the available options we have considered seven alternative locations but this location allows us to implement a design that will blend in with the existing street scene.

“During our pre-application consultation, we wrote to the local authority, ward councillors and local community. We only received a response from one local councillor before submitting the new planning application in early August 2009.”