Latest on mast for Ash Lane

Below is the comprehensive letter from the Parish Council to Orange as their submission to the consultation. It is not strong enough in my view in rejecting the site although it raises many important points - this is an AONB area and we already have too many of these masts littering the countryside.

Photo: view of mast site

After another walk there I am more convinced than ever that this is not a good location. Anyhow I have today spoken with the National Trust to discuss this application and I know the AONB folk are also being contacted. I have also sought from SDC a guarantee that they will let us know of any application submitted by Orange locally - see previous blog entries for background as no application has yet been made.

Proposed Radio Base Station, Land Adjacent Ash Lane, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 6EX

I write on behalf of Randwick Parish Council in response to the consultation document sent to the Parish Clerk by Lambert Smith Hampton.

The council considered this matter at it’s monthly meeting on Thursday 20 March 2008. With the contentious nature of this proposal the council were pleased to welcome the largest turnout of parishioners to a monthly meeting for some considerable time. The council listened to the views expressed by parishioners, particularly those nearest to the proposed mast, and to those of the District Councillor present and took those views into consideration when formulating this response.

While the immediate reaction of many councillors was to object to the proposal to erect a 15-metre high telecommunication mast in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the council recognises the benefit and public service served by having a good communication network. The council would therefore seek the following clarifications and would ask you to take onboard the suggestions, which are made in an attempt to make the proposal less unacceptable to the parish.

Clarifications. Purpose of mast - The letter from Lambert Smith Hampton states that the purpose of the mast is to improve mobile coverage for local and visiting people. It further states that the mast is needed to replace one decommissioned at Stroud College. The council are aware that the mast at Stroud College was removed at least one year ago. Not withstanding this, the council are also aware, from local enquires, that Orange coverage is still excellent in all areas of the parish. The council is also aware of an Orange base station within 1.5 km of this proposed mast. Could you therefore clarify why a new mast is required?

Traffic - Ash Lane is a steep, twisting single-track road that currently serves a few dwellings below the proposed entrance, two above it, a Guide Hut opposite the entrance and is used to access the National Trust woodland by both drivers and many walkers. The proposed entrance is at a blind spot where a footpath crosses the lane. The lane is accessed off of a rural road without footpaths that is used by pedestrians and particularly children to walk to the village school. Concerns have been expressed concerning the amount of new traffic generated by this proposal both during its construction and during its operation. Could you please give us your estimates of this increased traffic, both in number and size of vehicle?

Access to the mast - The proposal shows the entrance off Ash Lane but does not show any access track to the mast. Could you clarify if you intend to build a track to the mast and if so will this be permanent or just for the construction?

Cable routes - The drawings provided do not show the routes of any cables to the mast. Could you tell us if these will be over or underground? Do you have any proposed routes for these yet?

Mast usage - Will the mast be used solely for Orange mobile services? What power will the mast be transmitting at?

Suggestions - If the responses to these requests for clarifications were such as to lead The Council to support the proposal it would make the following suggestions to lessen the negative impact on our local environment.

Visual impact - The proposed site is within The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; it will also be visible from the Randwick Conservation Area and the Cotswold Way National Trail and much of the surrounding area. The Council believes that the proposed installation should therefore be designed to the highest possible standards. To this end the Council would wish Orange to use one of the masts designed to resemble a tree. It would also request that the compound area is further disguised by planting of a hedge of native species outside of the security fence.

Entrance from Ash Lane - The Council, in response to the concerns of people living in Ash Lane, would like the details of the entrance from Ash Lane reconsidered. This location is currently a very rural area and this should be preserved. A stone access track and steel gates will not help in this aim. The Council would wish the track to be in some form of reinforced grass and the gates to be in treated timber. Concern has also been expressed about the creation of an area off the lane, which may lead to undesirable parking and associated noise and litter. The council would therefore want to see the gates placed at the side of the road in the same position as the existing gate and stile.

Footpath Access - The Council would wish to see the formalisation of the footpaths that have existed for many years parallel to Ash Lane and from the proposed access along the western boundary of the field to the Cotswold Way. Dog walkers and people wishing to access Randwick Woods without walking on the narrow road currently use both these paths extensively. The Council would be pleased to see this path either being dedicated as a public footpath or as a permissive path.

Conclusion - The Parish Council would prefer the proposal did not go ahead. However it recognises the public service provided by mobile communications. It therefore seeks clarification of the points raised. If the council were satisfied with the responses to these points it would support the proposal if the suggestions given were incorporated in the proposal.

Martin Rendell, Vice-chairman, Randwick Parish Council