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Published:
July 25, 2008
Exclusive:
Council backs O2's plan for phone mast on top of cinema
 Mobile
phone giant O2's plan to build a five metre tall phone mast disguised
as a flag pole on top of Burnham-On-Sea's Ritz Cinema was given
a green light by town councillors on Thursday evening (July 24th).
Burnham-On-Sea.com
first reported last
year how O2 had
submitted the application to build the mast, plus several smaller
separate antennae, on the roof of the cinema in Victoria Street,
pictured right.
At
a council meeting on Thursday evening, members of Burnham's Planning
Applications Committee gave the proposed design the thumbs up.
"The
cinema is in a conservation area, but there have been no objections
from local residents," said Cllr Pauline Pollard, who chaired
the meeting.
And
Cllr Chris Williams added: "The mast would be disguised as
a flag pole, so I don't see anything wrong here."
Cllr
Janet Keen said the proposed mast would not be visible to most
people in the area, adding: "The mast wouldn't be seen from
The Esplanade as there are other tall buildings in this area."
Deputy
Town Clerk Denise Emery said councillors should consider whether
approving the scheme "could open the floodgates to other
similar applications," but she added that any future mast
applications would be reviewed on their individual merit.
The
O2 plan will now go before Sedgemoor planners during the next
few weeks for a final decision. Local residents have until August
12th to register their feedback.
Meanwhile,
the town council's Planning Applications Committee also decided
on Thursday that it has no objection to O2 keeping a 'temporary'
15 metre tall mast mounted on a portable trailer next to Burnham
RNLI lifeboat station for an additional 12 months. The mobile
phone company is appealing against a decision by Sedgemoor District
Council asking it to remove the mast.
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