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Residents in Edinburgh have expressed frustration and helplessness after the local council and Scottish Government ignored their concerns about the placement of a new 5G mast in their community. The Sighthill, Broomhouse, and Parkhead Community Council (SBPCC) first reached out to local councillors in February 2023 to voice their worries about the mast being installed on Parkheads Gardens near a funeral home and residential property.

Residents have deemed the large cabinets and mast to be unsightly and inappropriate outside these establishments, and they are concerned about the safety of children walking to school. Carol Munro, a member of SBPCC, stated that the community’s concerns have been completely ignored and the process of fighting the placement of the mast has been frustrating.

The community council attempted to address their concerns directly with the council planning department, but their requests to meet at the site were denied. They are puzzled as to why the mast was placed in such a visible and intrusive location when there are other areas, like the roundabouts on Calder Road, that could have accommodated it.

Residents have observed a dense concentration of 5G masts in their area compared to other parts of the city. They believe that if their community were more affluent, the situation would have been handled differently. Local councillor Ross McKenzie agrees, stating that the Scottish Government should intervene to ensure that communities are not disrespected.

According to Carol Munro, the Scottish Government has pre-approved the mobile masts and exempted them from the usual planning application procedure. However, she argues that discretionary measures should be used to address community concerns. The Scottish Government maintains that planning applications are the responsibility of local authorities, and commercial mobile infrastructure decisions are made by site owners and mobile operators.

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