Mother blocks new ‘eyesore’ 3G mast that is as high as the Angel of the North by parking her car on the exact spot workmen want to erect it

• 137 locals protested against the installation of a giant 5G mast on their street 
• But Hutchison 3G on behalf of Three gained approval to start the build 
• So  Elizabeth Grey, 49, from Tyneside, took it upon herself to stop the construction by parking her car on the very spot they intended to  build on

An enraged mother has staged a protest against the proposed site of a 20 meter 3G mast, after 137 locals tried to stop the giant ‘eyesore’ from being installed near their residence. 

Elizabeth Grey has left her Peugeot on the planned location of the giant pole on Cauldwell Avenue, South Shields, South Tyneside, to stop works taking place.

The 49-year-old says 137 locals disputed the 5G telecommunications mast, to be fit by Hutchison 3G on behalf of Three, dubbing it an eyesore as it is too tall and will ruin the locale.

After the plans were approved under permitted development, which grants planning permission without the requirement for approval from the local council, the mother-of-three decided to stage a protest and park her car over the spot where the pole was to be installed.

The rebellious move has been taken seriously according to Ms Grey, who claims the company have now forced a security guard to sit in his car for 14 hours in the hope that she will move her motor.

Hutchison 3G on behalf of Three has also placed fencing around her vehicle

Elizabeth Grey said the giant mast would be an ‘eyesore’ 

She staged the protest knowing over 100 residents felt the same as she did about the build

Ms Grey, said: ‘It’s horrendous. It’s really, really upset people. Some people have lost sleep over it.

‘It’s going to be 20 metres high, which is the same size as the Angel of the North.

‘It’s going to be on a main road so everyone will see it.

‘We’ve blockaded the site where the mast is going to be. They put signs up saying we can’t park on the road next to it so I got the map they gave us to see where they were going to place the mast and parked my car there.  

‘They called the police but when they came out they said it was legally parked and that they can’t force me to move it.

‘Neighbours have told me that they cheer when they drive past and see my car.

‘It’s been there for three days now. I’m hoping they will give up and move on.

‘I won’t move it for the foreseeable future.

‘It’s a David vs Goliath battle but if there’s some chance they’ll change their minds it’s worth it.’

Green Party councilor Andrew Guy has backed the resident’s protest

The company has also placed fencing around her vehicle but because Ms Grey works from home,  and her partner has a car, she is happy to wait out the protest. 

She added: ‘I’ve had to make sacrifices like not going out to the shops or ferrying the kids around.

‘It’s a minor inconvenience and I use my husband’s car when he gets in from work.’

She continued: ‘They’ve done this without any care and consideration for those living here.

‘The area is wall to wall residential properties. There’s been 137 complaints which is the highest amount they’ve ever received.

‘They described our homes as ‘urban clutter’. They keep telling us in a patronizing way that residents need 5G, which is fine but put the mast on private land. They just won’t do that as a private landlord will charge them more.’

As of April 2022, new ground-based mobile masts up to 30 metres in non-protected areas and up to 25 metres in protected areas are permitted.

Green Party councilor Andrew Guy has backed the resident’s protest and claims neighbours were ‘ignored’.

He said: ‘It’s a road where you would expect to see trees and people watering their gardens, not a telecommunications mast.

‘Residents feel misheard, if not ignored. Now they have taken things into their own hands.

‘They have come up with a clever way to screw the system that has been working against them.

‘It’s a completely unique, non-violent, legal protest and there’s nothing we can do about it.

‘I didn’t realise Elizabeth was going to do this. I had been keeping her updated with the process but one day I drove past, saw the workmen and her car and had a smile on my face.

‘The company should have a moral duty to look at the objections and see if they can change the location, colour of the mast or the height.’   

A Three spokesperson said: ‘5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of South Shields. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this new site will be critical to making that happen.

‘While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We have used the latest, slimmest design pole in order to reduce visual impact.’

Source: Read Full Article