CONTROVERSIAL plans for a 5G mast on North Star Avenue, close to schools, nurseries and homes, have been rejected.

The decision comes after people in the area objected and the council saying the mast would be intrusive.

Jim Grant and Peter Watts, who both represent Rodbourne Cheney on the borough council, led the campaign to have the plan, by WHP Telecoms, shot down.

Coun Grant said: “It isn’t going ahead, but there’s always the option for the company concerned to appeal.

“Whether they’re going to do that or not is another matter but at the moment the application has been rejected.

“People sent in their rejections to the borough council and obviously the planners agreed with us.”

He added: “We weren’t against it in principle. We agreed there needs to be a mast for 5G technology but it was just in the wrong place.

“It’s gone away for now because they’ll have to rejig the application and prove the planning officers were wrong."

Ann Griffith-Parker, who lives on Southbrook Street, added her objections to the plan. She believes not enough research has been done.

Ann said: “I don’t particularly want 5G and I don’t feel enough tests have gone into it.

“It’s been very rushed. It’s been about for some time but they haven’t left it long enough to see the effects it can have on people and the environment.”

The rejection from the council said: “Although the weight of public opposition cannot in its own right justify refusal, this taken together with the siting and appearance of the monopole structure and its close relationship to residential properties in what is a high density built up residential area, provides grounds to raise significant concern and objection.

“The proposal would form an intrusive feature in the street scene, detracting from the appearance and quality of the surrounding area and harming neighbouring amenity by proximity.”

Recent conspiracy theories linked 5G masts to the coronavirus pandemic but these have been

Despite this, a number of arson attacks have been carried out on masts across the UK and telecoms engineers themselves have been targeted.

Concerns about electromagnetic radiation have been around for longer, but so far there is no conclusive evidence linking it to cancer in humans.

The Adver approached WHP Telecoms for comment but they did not respond.