The mast would have been 14 metres taller than the tree line
An application for a huge telecommunications monopole in North Belfast has been refused at City Hall for being too “prominent.”
Elected representatives at the March meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee refused an application for a proposed 25 metres monopole with six antennas, four transmission dishes, and two equipment cabinets.
The site would have been at Loughside playing fields, Shore Road, BT15. The applicant was EE (UK) Ltd and Hutchison, 3G UK Ltd, Reading, England.
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The monopole would have been situated to the rear of the Loughside recreation centre and in close proximity to the two playing fields.
Council Planning officers recommended the application for refusal. The official planning report on the application states: “Having regard to the development plan and other considerations, the proposal is unacceptable. The proposal is contrary to policies in the Belfast Local Development Plan: Plan Strategy 2035.
“The siting, height, scale and design of the proposal would negatively impact on the area of protected open space and it has not been demonstrated that community benefits would decisively outweigh the loss of the open space.”
It adds: “The proposal does not satisfactorily sit within this existing character and will create an overly prominent feature. The height of the proposal far exceeds that of the mature planting and trees, limiting the screening they can provide especially over medium and long distances thus failing criterion.
“Whilst the development is situated away from the tree line, the visual impact is considered significant and will detract from the established tree line which characterises this part of Shore Road.
“The mast will be located in an area of open space to the immediate south of the currently vacant recreation centre. The surrounding area is mixed use with commercial and residential uses.
“It will be significantly taller than any other structures in the immediate area and the proposal is nine metres taller than existing street lighting. The proposal will be 17 metres taller than the recreation centre and 14 metres taller than the tree line. Public views will be open to the mast throughout the park and will be highly visible from the surrounding area.”
It concludes: “If permitted the proposal would significantly change the established skyline and would create an unacceptable level of visual clutter which does not integrate with the surroundings.”
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