Mobile phone giant O2 has this week won its long-running bid to construct a five metre tall phone mast on top of Burnham-On-Sea’s Ritz Cinema.
The Planning Inspectorate told Burnham-On-Sea.com it had overturned a decision by Sedgemoor District Council to refuse planning permission and give it the thumbs up.
A public inquiry on the proposals was held during October when O2 argued in favour of the scheme.
Sedgemoor District Council’s planning officer Chris Gomm had said the “incongruous and alien” phone mast would be out of place in the town centre.
It comes after O2 last month won an appeal to retain its temporary mast at the rear of Morrisons next to the lifeboat station – however this week’s news means that mast will soon be removed.
The decision comes after a long-running saga in which the O2 Ritz application was initially refused by Sedgemoor District Council amid concerns over the design of the scheme.
A second application was submitted for an amended scheme. That too was refused, so O2 appealed against the council’s decision – paving the week to this week’s decision.
