One phone mast approved at Newcastleton, and another could follow

EE has been given the green light to erect the telecommunications tower and associated equipment on a remote site at Doghill Bank, north west of Singdean.

It’s part of an ongoing drive to improve what has been the traditionally poor and at times non-existent 2G, 3G and 4G mobile phone coverage for residents in and around Newcastleton.

In her report approving the scheme under delegated powers, Julie Hayward, Scottish Borders Council’s lead planning officer, says: “Developers must demonstrate they have considered options for minimising the impact of the development, including the scale and the type of the equipment.

“The agent submitted details of other sites that have been considered and discounted due to poor coverage as a result of surrounding topography and woodland, poor access and issue with power connections.

“The site is within a commercial forestry plantation, some of which has already been felled. The main issue with this application is the visual impact of the mast.

“The site would be visible from the B6357, although the site is some distance from the public road it is on significantly elevated ground.

“There is a degree of screening from the topography of the area and forests and so visual impact would be localised or from a distance.

“It is considered the proposal would not be unduly prominent in the landscape.

“Taking into account the scale of the development and the lattice type mast proposed, the application would not have a significant detrimental impact on the visual amenities of the area.”

A separate application from EE has been submitted to the council for a 20-metre-high telecommunications tower on land at Hermitage Bank, north west of Powisholm Farmhouse at Newcastleton. Again, alternative siting options were rejected.