Council bans 57ft 5G mast over road safety fears
GooglePlans to put up a 57ft (17.5m) phone mast on a busy road near a primary school have been blocked.
Telecomms company Cornerstone initially wanted to erect a 65ft (20m) mast on Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton, but later reduced the height by 8ft (2.5m)
Despite the reduction, Leeds City Council planners refused the installation because of road safety concerns.
A report by the authority said the mast had the potential to obscure motorists' view of children crossing the road near Chapel Allerton Primary School and Lidl supermarket.
Planners also said it would narrow the pavement close to a bus lane and on-street parking spaces.
The report said: "Children could appear from behind the cabinets onto Harrogate Road.
"Due to the short distance between the proposals and Harrogate Road, this reduces the time that drivers must react.
"This could result in a collision between pedestrians and road users."
The council said 21 objection letters had been received, mostly from one person on behalf of nearby householders, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Cornerstone said the location was appropriate and the mast was needed to meet rising demand for 5G services.
But the council said concerns over the location would outweigh any benefits.
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