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07

Mar 2023

Last Updated: 07/03/2023
Environment
Environment

New 5G mast at Harrogate's Great Yorkshire Showground approved

by Calvin Robinson

| 07 Mar, 2023
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yec-greatyorkshireshowground
The Great Yorkshire Showground has 250 acres of outdoor space to offer event organisers, thousands of free parking spaces, and can host large-scale indoor events.

A bid to improve 5G connectivity by installing a new telecommunications tower at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate has been approved.

A planning application was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by telecommunications company EE to erect a lattice tower that will host three antennae, two dishes and several cabinets.

The firm said in documents the proposal would not only boost WiFi at the showground but also provide “much improved and upgraded coverage to surrounding businesses and residents who currently see limited indoor coverage”. 

The council has now approved the proposal.

In planning documents, Harlequin Group, which lodged the plan on behalf of EE, said:

“It should be noted there is no 5G coverage within the immediate or surrounding area whatsoever.
“The area, in particular the Great Yorkshire Showground, has been subject to coverage supplied by way of a temporary emergency solution during events.
“The proposal will be tucked within a building corner, meaning that the equipment will be obscured on two of the four sides.”


Great Yorkshire Showground telecommunications tower

The proposed location for the 5G mast.



Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Great Yorkshire Showground told the Stray Ferret previously:

“The Great Yorkshire Showground is an intrinsic part of the local community that hosts numerous events throughout the year and brings significant employment and money to the area.
“To ensure that we can continue to develop and evolve with the changing demands of customers and business, it is vital to ensure that the latest connectivity is present; the proposed lattice tower is centrally located and has been designed to allow multiple operators to host on the same infrastructure.
“The public benefit goes beyond the Great Yorkshire Showground, with the proposal able to provide upgraded coverage and capacity to the surrounding residential properties, commercial properties, visitors and businesses in the locale. It is therefore believed that this proposal enables the provision of future connectivity for numerous individuals and companies.”