Radstock Town Council has backed local residents over plans by mobile network, EE, to erect a 5G mast, upgrading the current equipment that stands at the Gasex Centre in Frome Road.

The Town Council will recommend to B&NES Council, who will make the final decision, that the application be turned down. The plans went to B&NES Council just before Christmas and the consultation expires on 4th February. Residents can view the application via B&NES’ planning portal on the website using the reference: 20/04924/FUL

Resident Dave Perrett addressed Councillors on behalf of concerned locals. His home is in front of the mast, and he says the property has been omitted from the application. Coming from a mining family, he compared issues that affected local workers as the ‘silent killer’ and added: “We have no idea what affect 5G could have. My history makes it particularly sensitive for me.

“I can find no evidence that states that this is 100% safe. We feel like lab rats at the moment. We were told to buy diesel fifteen years ago, and look at that now. Nobody can guarantee that it is safe – because it is new.”

Those against the plans are also concerned about documentation they have read that suggests workers should only have eight hours’ exposure on the site, yet they would be living there 24/7. There are also concerns about environmental impact and property value implications.

Chair of the Town Council’s Planning Committee and one of the B&NES Councillors for Radstock, Bruce Shearn, proposed that the plan should be recommended for refusal due to lack of clarity in the application and conflicting opinions on health, which was voted through.

Bath has recently had a 5G mast turned down by the Council, but the Council have been very keen to stress that it was refused due to its location in the Green Belt, rather than any health concerns. A second mast has now been proposed by Vodaphone 60 metres from the mast proposed by EE and Three.

In its application, EE say there are no other viable alternatives in the area to upgrade the network coverage and says ‘to date, there has been no evidence to indicate that the systems so far operated have caused any manifest adverse health effects.’