Hollins Green could be set for 18-metre 5G phone mast

Documents were submitted to the council and a decision on the viability of the installation is due to be made by Tuesday, January 10.

If approved, the plans will see an 18-metre-tall telecommunications mast installed in the village.

The site that is being eyed for installation is off Manchester Road, adjacent to Birch Road.

Should the plans go ahead, the telecommunications mast would be three metres taller than the surrounding trees, which currently stand at 15 metres high.

The plans were submitted by CK Hutchinson Networks Ltd. - more commonly known in the UK as Three.

It is expected that if the council's planning committee approves the plans, the new mast will assist in the rollout of further 4G and 5G coverage across Hollins Green and surrounding areas.

The developers suggest that improved signal in the area will encourage further use of handheld internet-enabled devices, with the comms tower including systems to help support rolling out a better signal to more devices.

Documents submitted in this application also explain the strategic nature of the location for the proposed mast, as it will help to 'fill the gap in service provision and provide high quality, reliable, advanced 3G, 4G and 5G to this urban area of Hollins Green.'

The planned mast would be three metres taller than surrounding trees (Image: Three)

The plans outline that developers have met with local ward councillors for Rixton and Woolston - Cllrs Joshua Dickins, Phil Eastty and Andrew Hill - and 'no site-specific responses had been received at the time of submission.'

Included in the application is a 'Councillor’s Guide to Digital Connectivity,' which includes proposed advantages of 5G connections, including:

• Faster mobile broadband and a more consistent experience in congested areas with a very high number of devices.
• Industrial applications, enabling businesses to improve their productivity, for example through predictive maintenance and real-time analytics.

The mast is planned to be installed at this location (Image: Maps)

The plans also suggest benefits for services including:

• Transport and logistics: connected parcels and fleet tracking.
• Health and social care.
• Environmental monitoring: sensors monitoring air quality and water pollution in real-time.
• Smart agriculture and smart animal farming, smart retailing.
• Connected and autonomous cars: allowing cars to communicate with each other, other road users and even the road infrastructure. 

This planning application is currently under consideration by Warrington Borough Council's planning committee, with a decision due by Tuesday, January 10, 2023.