Plans for a 36 metre telecommunications mast in the Lake District have been turned down.
Members of the Lake District National Park Authority development control committee refused a planning application from Cornerstone to erect the 36m tower at Lanty’s Tarn near Patterdale.
The proposal would offer both improved emergency service coverage and commercial coverage for the entire Grisedale Valley to the south west and parts of Patterdale to the south, according to planning documents.
A report by planning officers said: “The proposals would however result in the addition of a large utilitarian and incongruous feature into a highly sensitive landscape setting.”
The proposed location is around 850m south of Glenridding and 473m west of Patterdale Hall – with the site being almost entirely surrounded by mature trees.
Planning documents submitted by the applicant said: “The location has been chosen as the site will be able to fulfil its operational requirements whilst benefitting from extensive screening from the mature trees and topographical features.”
The plans received 49 objections which raised concerns the proposal was out of character with the rest of the area.
Landscape charity Friends of the Lake District said: “The development of the proposed communications mast would erode the sense of tranquillity by introducing a tall, vertical, intrusive and incongruous man-made communications structure.”
The proposals received support from Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border who stated improving digital connectivity for his constituents had been a key pillar of his campaigning in Parliament since his election.
Dr Hudson wrote: “I fully support the development of the Rural Shared Network. Across the whole of my constituency we are plagued with not spot areas, where families and businesses struggle to access any form of phone signal or broadband.
“Better digital connectivity for my constituents has been a key pillar of my campaigning in Parliament since my election. The issue is not going away and we must do whatever we can to improve outcomes for the residents of Penrith and The Border.”
The proposal is part of the Government-backed Shared Rural Network scheme which aims to improve 4G coverage for people living, working and travelling in rural areas which have little to no coverage.
In response to the plans Connecting Cumbria said: “We are particularly supportive of improvements in mobile coverage in areas that currently have poor connectivity such as Glenridding, Patterdale and Hartsop.
“This shared site in this area proposed by Cornerstone on behalf of Three, Virgin Media, O2 and Vodafone will create opportunities for a community that has suffered from poor connectivity for many years.
“Improved access to the emergency services including the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team is also very important.”
A report by planning officers concluded: “On balance, it is not considered that the public benefits arising from the proposals are sufficient to outweigh the adverse landscape, visual and historic impacts identified.”
