There are plans for a 20-metre-high phone mast on the A36 Lower Bristol Road near Weston Lock Retail Park in Bath.
Library image
The grey monopole will have nine antennas and three associated cabinets.
The application has been lodged with Bath & North East Somerset Council by Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited.
It says the proposed mast will be a “consolidation” of the services provided by two sites nearby, where a notice to quit has been served – the floodlight tower at Bath City Football Club at Twerton Park, which is being replaced, and the rooftop of Redbridge Motors (Allen Ford/Kia) on Lower Bristol Road where redevelopment is planned.
A report with the application says: “The A36 Lower Bristol Road is one of the main roads into central Bath. The area is mixed use/industrial in character, with a tyre garage opposite the site and an industrial/warehouse unit immediately to the west.
“To the north of the site beyond a car park there is a self-storage unit with an M&S Foodhall to the north west.
“The site itself is an area of disused grass set back from the pavement and road edge with a low-rise timber fence to the front and a grey brick wall and railings to the rear.
“There are two trees within the grassed area to the east of the site which rise to a height of approximately 8.2 metres.”
The report says the nearest potential residential building is 21 metres to the east of the site, but there are no windows facing towards the site.
The application says the proposal has been designed with the aim of achieving a balance between minimising visual impact and achieving the technical requirements. An existing fence will be replaced with a higher metal one and there will be a double access gate to the mast and equipment.
Options considered and discounted in the area during the search included sites near the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, Brassmill Lane, Osbourne Road, Newbridge Road, How Hill/High Street in Twerton and Locksbrook Road, including directly outside Bath Spa University’s campus.
The planning reference is 26/00768/TEL. The deadline for comments is 27th March.
