Master plan? (From Leigh Journal)

Master plan?

9:00am Thursday 12th January 2012 in Letters

IN 2005 the Journal published an article about a proposed Vodafone phone mast at Lions Bridge pumping station right next to the playground in Lilford Park. That application was refused by Wigan MBC’s planning department.

Since then, Vodafone (sometimes with Telefonica) have continued to submit various similar planning applications in the area. The most recent being in September 2011 for a 15 metres high mast facing Lilford Park car park. This was again refused following objections. Vodafone & Telefonica have now submitted another planning application for another mast facing the car park of Lilford Park, this time 20 metres high.

Local residents are both angry and dismayed that these large companies just appear to treat us with contempt. At what point do repeated planning applications like this become harassment? They appear to be giving out a message that when one application is refused they will just issue another one, for a mast nearer to homes and maybe taller.

The current application states that Leigh Infirmary has declined to host masts and also states that Lilford Park was considered but "this is a public park, which is also situated within the Green Belt: development in this area is not recommended since it would be inappropriate in principle and thus subject to a negative presumption".

It would appear that a few metres in front of the main gates is OK!

David Isherwood, Elmridge, Leigh.