Plan submitted for new 5G mast by Polegate Railway Station

The new proposed 20m monopole for land by Polegate Railway Station will also supply enhanced 2G, 3G and 4G coverage.

In the application from Cornerstone Telecommunications it says: “The operators are proposing to upgrade their existing installation to ensure the latest high quality, reliable, secure communications technology is able to be provided from this location. The amendments to the existing scheme are essential in order that customers’ handheld devices continue to operate for the purposes in which they have become accustomed, accessible wherever they are whether that be indoors or outside.”

It adds: “As this is an existing ground based installation and the amendments are relatively minor in nature, this is sequentially the most preferable site for the operators to upgrade their existing service provision to this cell area. As such, no other options have been considered"

The existing radio base station has been on land by Polegate Railway Station for a number of years and has become an established part of the streetscene, according to the plan.

In the proposal, which indicates that O2 will use the pole, it says a similar upgrade to the monopole was permitted back in March 2020 but technology advances - including 5G service provision – and additional demands on the operator’s mobile network system in the area mean replacement and additional antennas are needed.

To minimise the impact on the surrounding area, the proposed replacement and new antennas on the headframe will resemble as closely as possible the existing antennas already in place.

A spokesperson from the Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "Public Health England has recently updated its advice in respect of 5G and states: ‘It is possible that there may be a small increase in overall exposure to radio waves when 5G is added to an existing network or in a new area. However, the overall exposure is expected to remain low relative to guidelines and, as such, there should be no consequences for public health’.”

Polegate Town Council has not submitted any objections to the application.