People power triumphs over Anvil mast plan

By hgreaves

IT was a victory for people power after proposals for a mobile phone mast to be erected at a notorious Sutton accident black-spot were thrown out.

More than 750 people living near the 'Anvil' junction – where Springfield Road meets Reddicap Heath Road – signed a petition against Orange's plan for a 12-metre high mast, citing the equipment as an additional danger to motorists.

Campaigner Jane Harris, who was involved in a collision at the infamous junction last year, said the spot was already a death-trap without the added obstruction of a phone mast.

"I am delighted the mast is not going to be put at the end of Reddicap Heath Road," she added.

"The petition definitely helped, along with letters from Andrew Mitchell MP and our local councillors.

"We put the petition in local garages and I walked the streets on several nights knocking on doors and asking people to sign, but it has all paid off.

"It aroused so much anger among local people, there were very few people who said no."

City planners agreed with residents and refused to grant permission for the mast, saying it was 'detrimental to the visual amenity'.

Trinity councillor Philip Parkin, who also opposed the plan, said: "It is good to see common sense can still prevail.

"It was an inappropriate place to put a mast and it goes to show that if residents oppose something with sensible reasons for doing so – and these residents were very well informed – it can have an effect."

Roadworks are currently underway to install a traffic island to make the junction safer for motorists.

A spokesperson for Orange said: "Orange are disappointed that our planning application has been refused and will now carry out a full appeal assessment to decide whether to challenge the decision."