Hounslow Council Turn Down Mobile Phone Masts At Sutton Court

Would be 'bulky, and unsightly' on the roof of an Edwardian building

A bid by telecoms company CTIL* to install mobile phone masts on the rooftop of the Edwardian Sutton Court mansion block, has been refused.

Hounslow Council Planning Department said the location of the proposed mast was 'unacceptable' and did not appreciate the character of the area.

The telecoms company had written to Sutton Court Management Ltd in December, attaching a Developer's Notice and site plans for the proposed telecommunications base station development. Residents opposed the plan on several grounds, including that the masts would be visually detrimental to the area. A total of 137 letters were received from residents.

A delegated report by a Council officer has now found that; "the proposed antennae, dishes and associated infrastructure, though sited predominantly on the rear elevation of the building in an attempt to minimise the visual impact, would nonetheless appear bulky, prominent and unsightly and would lead to a proliferation of visual clutter to the roofscape of the existing building (a handsome Edwardian mansion block which contributes valuably to the visual amenities of the area and currently without any antennas on the roof).

The antennae would be visible from several surrounding streets owing to their height and scale, with prominent views down Compton Crescent and wider views from the nearby Chiswick House Conservation Area. The structures would also create a sense of visual dominance and overbearing to other neighbouring properties, in particular those to the rear of the site on Elmwood Road.

"It is therefore considered that the proposal would cause harm to the character and appearance of the building and surrounding area."

An impression of how the phone masts might look

One resident had described it as " a wake-up call to anyone living in a similar block of flats in Chiswick. If it can happen to us it can happen to others in Chiswick."

In December 2017 a new Electronic Communications Code took effect under the Communications Act 2003 to make it easier for network operators to install and maintain apparatus such as phone masts, exchanges and cabinets on public and private land.

It gives liberal powers to the operators to acquire sites, challenge opposition and even claim compensation from local authorities if they have obstructed access to electronic communications apparatus in certain circumstances.

Operators are under increasing pressure to find viable sites for the apparatus and this has already led to clashes between some phone companies, residents and local authorities which have ended up in court with complaints that the phone companies have used 'aggressive' tactics in pursuing their objectives. There have been a number of similar cases in other areas of London including Islington and Muswell Hill.

*Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited (CTIL) is a British company that operates radio mast infrastructure. The company was formed in 2012 as a joint venture between the mobile phone operators Telefónica (trading as O2 in Britain) and Vodafone.

January 31, 2020