Edinburgh residents furious at 5G mast 'like giant tootbrush' outside their windows

RESIDENTS are furious that plans for a 65ft high mobile phone mast outside their front windows has been approved without debate despite 125 objections.

The 5G mast to be installed at Montgomery Street is understood to be similar to this one on Lanark Road

The 5G mast – described as looking like a giant white toothbrush – was given the go-ahead by officials without going to committee.

And just three weeks later, work has already begun to install the mast next to Montgomery Street park, just off Easter Road.

Resident Olivia Robson, who lives just across the road, said: "We got a letter through the door in early October saying there was an application for a 5G mast and we worked out it was right outside our living room and kitchen windows.

Work has already started in Montgomery Street for installation of the 65ft high mast

"We got together with some neighbours, put up some posters, I leafleted a lot of doors because we realised the letter had only gone to a handful of households and we managed to get 125 objections before the deadline.

"Then we discovered it had been approved on November 23 – it was just rubber stamped, no committee looked at it, none of the objections were considered, which sounds ludicrous to all of us. We don't understand it.”

She said she had noticed exploratory work in May and June. “They cordoned off a little area, there were people in hi-vis jackets, they were spray-painting on the pavement and people doing photos of the site. We are concerned that this was never not going to be approved.”

This week workmen arrived to start preparation work. Ms Robson said: “A massive trench has been dug, there’s a digger and bollards – it looks like it's all going ahead. If it's this simple to get an application so swiftly approved these are going to be everywhere – it’s not a good precedent.”

A lot of flats overlook the site for the new mast next to Montgomery Street park

She said another resident had identified a 5G mast on Lanark Road, which they believe is similar to the one they will face outside their windows.

"It's horrible - it’s not just a big lamp post. It's like a giant toothbrush, it's huge and white and it's way above the tree height, it's never going to blend in. It’s an eyesore to say the least and the fact you can see it from multiple rooms in your house is not great.

“So many people look out onto this. It’s probably going to reduce the value of our property. It's not that many metres from the middle of my living room. And there are three streets that have flats that face onto it. I don't know why it was proposed here in the first place. Why was there nowhere else considered?”

The council insisted it did consider the objections and said there was no right of appeal.

A spokeswoman said: “To support the delivery of the telecoms network, government allows the construction of masts without planning applications needing to be made. Instead, telecoms operators must apply to councils for a decision on whether what is known as prior approval is required. While the public are able to comment on these applications, the council can only consider the siting and appearance of these masts. As the masts have limited coverage, this means that in urban areas, we have to accept that they will be close to housing in some instances.”

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