Recent plans for the construction of a 15 metre high telephone mast on Oxford High Street have been met with outrage from local businesses and colleges.
A commissioned workforce began excavations at the traffic island outside All Souls college, in a preliminary investigation as to whether or not the underground services would be suitable for a radio base station.
Elizabeth Crawford, domestic bursar at University College, said, “None of the neighbouring Colleges on the High Street were informed of the trial hole that was excavated last week on behalf of a mobile telephone company.”
She added, “The planning regulations do not require that local people are notified for such exploratory work.”
There has been a joint effort of late between traders and colleges to clean up and restore the High Street, and many believe that the mast, which will improve 3G coverage for Vodafone and O2 customers, is in direct opposition to such renovations.
Jeremy Mogford, owner of the Old Bank Hotel and Quod restaurant, said, “The idea of a mast there is simply appalling.”
Crawford echoed this, stating, “I cannot imagine that any business or College in the High Street would regard such an installation with anything other than astonished horror.”
As yet, the plans are still in the pipeline for the mast and an official application has not yet been made to the council.
Ilana Clark, a spokesperson for Vodafone UK Ltd., said, “This site is still in the early stages and a proposed design has not yet been finalised. We have identified that we need to improve the 3G coverage to our customers in central Oxford.”
After being notified of the project by Univ’s domestic bursar, Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said, “My personal view is that sounds like a monstrous carbuncle on the High.”
Crawford told Cherwell, “Were a planning application to be submitted, Univ College would certainly exercise its rights to comment on it… I hope that the students who live in Univ, many of whom look over the High Street would also exercise their right to comment on any such application.”
She added, “Were permission to be granted, I think it highly likely that the College would appeal against such a decision.”
Vodafone have also had two applications rejected for similar stations in Bath, as well as withdrawing a January application for a mast in front of the War Memorial in St. Giles, which was branded as “sacrilege”.
