Appeal reference number – APP/X5210/A12/2188676

You will recall that Everything Everywhere applied for planning permission to put up a mobile phone mast on the corner of Redington Gardens and Redington Road outside no. 7 Redington Gardens.  Camden refused planning permission.  Everything Everywhere has now appealed. 
The purpose of this petition is to make the feelings of residents known about the appeal.

Below (in bold) are the summary grounds of appeal with objections set out under each ground.  Please sign the petition which will be delivered to Everything Everywhere and to the Planning Inspectorate by 28 January, 2013.

1. Contrary to the Council’s decision notice we contest that the proposed development would add visual clutter and detract from the character and appearance of the street scene

The streets in this conservation area are characterised by pavements which are devoid of visual clutter.  Residents are watchful of attempts to add clutter to the pavements and make vociferous objections  against such intentions.  The conservation area is an area of natural and architectural beauty.  Redington Gardens is a jewel among the streets of Hampstead. 

Oak Tree house in Redington Gardens was designed in 1874 by Basil Champneys for Henry Holiday (1839-1927), the stained-glass painter.  In the Redington/Frognal conservation area statement, it is recognised that houses 1 – 3 and 15 Redington Gardens make a positive contribution to this conservation area and that the road, with its red brick paving, low brick walls and hedges also makes a positive contribution to the area. 

The height and size of the mast is disconsonant with these characteristics of the conservation area and will irreversibly damage the streetscene.

The pole is within sight of Nos 41 – 49 Redington Road which are of consistent architectural style which houses were designed by the celebrated Quennell built between 1898 and 1914.

2. The siting and design of the equipment has been carefully considered to minimise any impacts on the conservation area and surrounding properties being a sympathetic design which protects the visual amenity of neighbouring properties

The proposed development consists of a 25 foot pole which is taller than a giraffe.  It has a wide girth and is not slimline as suggested by the appeal grounds.  Photo 1 attached to this petition is an exact example of what is proposed for Redington Gardens.

Like this pole, the one proposed for Redington Gardens will stand proud of the hedge of 7 Redington Gardens and will be at the edge of the pavement closest to the road.  It will not be camouflaged in any way, shape or form.  It will be very noticeable and blot the views along this beautiful road.

The 2 cabinets which are designed to accompany the pole are 4 foot high and will partially block the pavement which you will see from Photo 2 is not wide. 

The resulting footway will be less than the 1.8m requirement for a clear pavement for passersby.  This is a well used road and pavement including by parents with buggies which will be affected by the cabinet furniture.

3. The location is considered to be the most appropriate because the site is well screened by a variety of medium-sized deciduous and coniferous trees in the garden to the rear

The site is not well screened at all.  The photo above is taken in the summer, but in winter, there is no cover.  The site proposed is next to the post with the parking sign.  The pole will not be sited near the trees because they will interfere with its signal.  Any pole would stick out like a sore thumb.

The size of the mast and its need to be on the curb means that there is no scope for landscaping or screening to hide the impact of this monstrosity on the surroundings.

4. The proposed development is required to ensure coverage levels are maintained after the removal of an existing telecommunications mast at Kiddepore Avenue.  The appeal refers to a lack of suitable buildings in the surrounding area.  It mentions that the other mast is a rooftop site at Ashley Court which has already been granted planning permission and installed.

It should be noted that the rooftop site at Ashley Court has been the site of an Orange mast for some time.  This site is not new to Everything Everywhere.   They have adapted this site to add another mast. 

It is suggested that Everything Everywhere has not tried sufficiently to use its existing sites to add new masts.  Being a merger of T-Mobile and Orange, Everything Everywhere has a number of sites around Hampstead.  They should try to adapt their existing sites for use rather than putting up more masts and creating unsightly clutter.

Very recently, it obtained planning permission to put up a mast at the corner of Templewood Avenue and West Heath Road.  This is a mere 40 yards, as the crow flies from the current site.  Why does it need another mast when there is one not very far away?

Orange has many sites on Heath Street, Finchley Road and surrounding areas.  It does not need Redington Gardens for a site for that large mast.  It must find another site perhaps on the Finchley Road and away from this conservation area

5. It is considered that the proposed development would offer significant economic and social benefits to the local area which have not been fully assessed and weighed up against the localised impact from the siting of the telegraph pole and associated cabinets

The local community does not want this mast in its midst.  The value of houses in this road will be affected by the siting of the mast s/o 7 Redington Gardens.  Where is the social and economic benefit?  There is no such benefit to residents. 

There is also evidence that the health effects of the masts are detrimental to the health of adults and more so to children as their skulls are thinner.  The World Health Organisation has classed mobile phone masts as “possibly carcinogenic”. 

 
This huge mast is within 100 yards of 4 schools and a children’s playground.  It is also opposite a site in which local school buses from different schools wait to collect children in the mornings to take them to their schools.  Many mothers and toddlers take this route into schools in the mornings and home again in the afternoons.

Everything Everywhere has not tried sufficiently hard to find an alternative site which is not in the conservation area. 

We would invite the Inspector to reject this appeal so that this beautiful conservation area is not destroyed by the addition of this monstrosity.

Do support this petition by adding your signature to it.

Sponsor

Links