SOUTHAMPTON residents are “up in arms” over plans for a new 5G network mast on their street.

People in Bitterne have expressed their concerns over plans for a 20m tall phone mast, for a future 5G network, outside of the ESSO Tesco petrol station in West End Road.

The application was submitted to Southampton City Council and residents have been left angered with the “lack of consultation taking place”.

Notices were left on lamp posts and masts in the area with details of the proposed plans, and letters were sent out to residents by Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith to notify them of the plans for the 5G mast.

Michael Adams, a local resident concerned about the plans, said: “Local residents are up in arms in Bitterne with the city council, over the lack of consultation taking place for the proposed erection of a 20 metre high mobile phone mast.

“The city council’s development planning department obviously thought that this event was not really worth notifying anyone about, and so only decided to inform the local residents by means of three notices placed on nearby lamp columns, instead of sending out any residents notification letters.

“Of course this was not a good move with Covid-19 going on, as most of the local residents were not venturing out.”

He added: “I believe this is the first of many of these planning applications across the city, and all are to be place in residential areas.

“As for the West End Road site, no consideration has been given to the local residents who will have to live with this monstrosity, and blot on the skyline for many years to come.”

5G follows previous generations of mobile technology such as 3G and 4G.

5G is faster and offers greater capacity, allowing thousands of devices in a small area to be connected at the same time.

The Daily Echo contacted Southampton City Council for a comment but they did not respond.