Plymouth residents celebrated a victory last week as Plymouth’s Planning Committee refused to grant planning permission to a new phone mast at Cross Hill in Morice Town. The proposed mast, to have served phone networks 3 and EE, would have been 20 metres high. The plans caused several Morice Town residents to voice their objections, with some writing to the Planning Committee. The decision to deny permission came at a City Council Planning Committee meeting on Thursday 8 April – click here to read the agenda and minutes, including full details of the planning request. 

Prior to the decision, Luke explained his opposition to the plans on Facebook. Luke Pollard MP wrote:

We do need better mobile signal across Plymouth, but this mast is too big for this quiet residential area.

 

I share local resident’s concerns that this new mast will blight the area and return very little extra benefit to local residents. The mast company could have installed electric vehicle charging points alongside the mast to provide a benefit to local residents, but all they’ll get is a huge eyesore on their doorsteps instead.

Appearing in a video alongside Luke, Councillor Mark Coker said:

The problem is that we have got a planning application coming in for a 20 metre phone mast going on the pavement behind me. What concerns me is that we are surrounded by residents, we have a school and a play park and the consensus of the local people is that they don’t want it here. 

Following the decision, Luke Pollard MP wrote on Facebook:

GOOD NEWS! The planning committee decided today to refuse planning permission for this huge mast in Morice Town. Thank you to the members of the committee for listening to local residents.

This result is an example of what happens when a community, a council and an MP are all aligned in pursuit of a common goal. Luke has stated that whilst this is a victory for Morice Town residents, we must not get complacent going forwards when it comes to planning permissions, and remember to prioritise the needs of real people ahead of those of companies like 3 and EE.