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CASE STUDY
Base Station at Pillowell Grid Ref. 624 061
Orange site
No. – erected summer 2002 in the face of considerable local opposition. 15m
steel pole mast painted green with gloss finish; 2 sector ant; 2m steel
palisade fence, grey cabins; no planting.
Comments: A
relatively benign siting from a visual point of view although local opinion
believes it is too close to housing. The mast is concealed from many
viewpoints and when it is visible, has a backdrop of trees. The benefit of
the green finish of the mast and compound fence from a camouflage point of
view is almost entirely dissipated by a). the paint is gloss finish and
catches the sun and b). the pale grey antennae which ensure the high
visibility of the whole against the wooded backdrop.
Urgent amelioration needed: Simple painting of the antennae the same colour as the mast would make a
considerable difference.
Ideal: Demolish and replace with wood pole or use tree attached antennae.
PLACE lobbied the
Countryside Agency (CA) and the FoDDC for a public meeting on telecoms issue
for two years (see PLACE). A meeting was held in July 2003 at which
CA, representatives of all the mobile operators, mast manufacturer Francis
and Lewis International Ltd., Forest Enterprise, PLACE, Gloucestershire
County Council, and four members of the public were present. A number of
issues were discussed, including the poor treatment by the telecoms
operators of the Lydbrook community. All the operators were at pains to
indicate their regret at the way things had gone for Lydbrook and also to
say that future contacts would be better and that they would be much more
responsive to the community. The reps said “tell us what you want” in
relation to mast design, choice of site, screening etc. Those present
understood a clear intention to be more flexible and responsive to local
people. In the autumn of that year PLACE contacted Orange asking for the
antennae of the Pillowell mast to be painted a similar colour to the mast to
help camouflage them against the tree backdrop. Orange replied that owing to
the considerable feeling against this particular installation in the
community, they did not wish to raise any further ill feeling by making
changes and that they had already responded to the wishes of the planning
department regarding visual matters. This, despite what PLACE proposed,
would improve the situation visually! They also said that the paint could
adversely affect the operation of the antennae. This is not true– Henry
Dolan, the CA’s technical expert told us there are no problems at all if the
correct paint is used. When PLACE raised the issue at a TMWG meeting chief
planner Sean Hannaby advised that it would be well to get the approval of
the local parish council before lobbying Orange further. PLACE did a short
presentation to the West Dean Parish Council in September 2004 it supported
the painting proposals. In February 2005 PLACE re-contacted Orange regarding
the painting of the antennae. Orange responded to this repeated request for
painting of the antennae and other minor improvements at the site with the
following: “I would like to
clarify that Orange feels that every effort was made at the time of
installation of our equipment to work with the local authority, the paint
finish was agreed at that time as required by the planning consent. We do
not therefore intend at this time to carry out additional painting or minor
works to our equipment/installation.”
The reply refused to take further action.
At a TMWG meeting on
28/1/2005 a list of actions to be undertaken by the planning department
included writing to Orange asking for the antennae to be painted. The letter
was eventually written 29/7/2005. The letter was eventually written
29/7/2005. The reply refused to take further action.
Base Station at Driffield Road, Grid Ref. 642 045
Orange site No. - ; original mast 15m
tapering galv. steel lattice sited in 1995 with 6 sector ant;1 dish ant; 2
pale grey equipment cabins; 2m netting on concrete posts. A 5m vertical
extension was added in 2002 with 3 more sector ant and 1 dish ant.
Comments: Tall, ugly intrusive mast in open
countryside, visible from A48, local footpaths and from afar.
Urgent Amelioration
needed: Demolish mast and replace with wood
pole(s), plant shrubs around compound.
Base Station at Driffield Road, Grid Ref. 642 045
The ubiquitous standard Orange mast design makes no pretence
whatever to elegance or responsiveness to rural surroundings, or any other
surroundings (nor do many others). It is an engineer’s answer to the need to
hold the antennae aloft. It is ugly and has an unmistakeably threatening,
‘watchtower’ presence which acts in a malign subliminal way on the
consciousness of those unfortunate enough to have had such a structure
dumped on their doorstep. It is astonishing that there is still so little
awareness of the profound connection between bad design and mental ill
health. It is unlikely that the health lobby concerned with mobile phone use
would be so strong, were the infrastructure beautifully designed. The crucial importance of good design for a healthy
society cannot be overemphasised.
Base Station at Old Hill, Nibley, Blakeney Grid Ref. 668 062
This mast which was, when
first built, below the tree canopy in front of which it is sited, has with
subsequent additions, become another highly intrusive mast rising above the
tree canopy with a visual cacophony of antennae. These additions have been
made with notifications to the planning dept. only? Once a mast is sited
most planning authorities simply grant additions thus the intrusiveness is
allowed to increase by increments.
See sequential photographs – below 1998.
Base Station at Old Hill, Nibley, Blakeney Grid Ref. 668 062
Crown Castle International
multi-operator site No.1492238; Mmo2 Airwave site No. GL0 056; 3 site No-.;
T-mobile site no.92238; Vodafone site No. 40397; 20m parallel sided galv.
Steel lattice mast; 10 sector ant.; 2 dishes; Tetra array; 3 green and 5
pale grey cabins, 2m netting on galv.
Steel posts; new access track scars field; no planting, existing trees
provide useful backdrop.
Comments: Tall intrusive mast with a confusion of antennae spoiling many views. Site
has grown significantly over last 5 years. Urgent Amelioration Needed: Ideally demolish mast and
replace with wood pole masts and/or tree attached ant. Minimum paint mast,
ant., cabins olive green and plant semi-mature shrubbery around compound.
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