Phone Mast application in St Andrew's Conservation Area refused by Brent Council

The proposal was to erect the mast on this green opposite St. Andrew's Church

 

The picture of the location supplied by the applicant H3G

An application by Edinburgh based Dot Surveying n behalf of the operator H3G for the erection of a 15 metre high mast and associated cabinets on the green at the junction of Tudor Gardens and Old Church Lane was refused earlier this year by Brent Council.   There were 22 objections to the mast from residents in the area.

This objection sums up the issues:

1.     The proposed site is within a conservation area. The application should therefore be refused.

2.     The Mast will not be in keeping with the street scene. Conservation areas are areas of special architectural and historic character with a particular quality worth preserving. One of the main features of the St Andrews conservation area is the way the individual buildings and gardens complement each other. This mast will not compliment anything whatsoever. It will be an eyesore.

3.     The proposed mast will have a negative impact on the skyline and views of St Andrews Church. For example, the view looking down Tudor Gardens towards the church. The views of the Church are specifically mentioned in Brent Council's St. Andrew's Conservation Area Character Appraisal. Such views would be ruined.

4.     The most significant views of the conservation area are those which look towards St Andrews Church. The church plays the most important part in creating the special identity of the conservation area because of its presence within most of the local views. The views are suitably bordered by the houses that flank the roads, and the presence of large amounts of greenery helps in promoting a rural village quality within the area. This will be ruined by the mast.

5.     Brent Council are obliged to maintain the character of the conservation area and are responsible for designating Conservation Areas. The law set down in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 enables the Council to influence the type of physical changes that would otherwise be detrimental to the area. Thus, a local authority should preserve and enhance a conservation area. It would be a dereliction of duty on the part of Brent Council if this application was to be approved.

 

6.     Brent Council are obliged by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, to ensure that Conservation Areas retain the character that brought about their designation. If conservation areas retain their designation but do not retain their essential character, they undermine the credibility of a Conservation Area status.

 

7.     St Andrews conservation area is defined by our church. The Church is the symbol and centre of the conservation area. The current proposal is to erect a large, unmissable and unsightly mast right opposite the Church itself. The site selected for this mast, is quite possibly the worst possible location - right opposite St Andrews Church.

 

8.     We really would have succumbed to consumerism - if a historic church is overtaken and despoiled by a radio mast which nobody wants and nobody supports.

 

 

Brent Council set out their reasons for refusal:

 

The proposed monopole and associated cabinets, by reason their size, siting and appearance within the St Andrews Conservation Area (a designated heritage asset), would result in a harmful impact on the visual amenities of the streetscene and result in harm to the significance of the St Andrews Conservation Area. The proposal is therefore considered unacceptable in terms of siting and appearance. Prior Approval is therefore required and refused having regard to Part 16 of the Town and Country (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended.