BRP charity’s objection to the Brentham Meadows telecom mast

The Brent River Park charity’s reasons for opposing the application are:

  1. Brentham Meadows is part of the Brent River Park. It is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). MOL is protected by the London Plan which means it has the same level of protection as Green Belt. Telecoms infrastructure is not considered an appropriate use and we deem there are no ‘special circumstances’ being demonstrated to even remotely justify what would be a blatant misuse of MOL.
  2. The site’s SINC designation reinforces this. London Plan and Borough Level policies require the enhancement and protection of biodiversity, not degradation which a telecom mast structure would highly likely cause.
  3. The Environment Act 2021 requires all new developments to deliver a measurable Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) – in brief terms meaning the natural environment must be left in a better state than it was before. This includes enhancing habitats and increasing biodiversity. Any development that causes habitat loss or harm to a designated nature site, such as SINC and MOL risks resulting in a net loss of biodiversity, which would contravene this legal requirement.
  4. 98% of the UK’s meadow habitats have been lost since WW2. Sites like Brentham Meadows are therefore increasingly rare. Erecting a mast would disrupt bird breeding and bat foraging routes, relevant under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Habitats Regulations.
  5. As a dominant and visually intrusive structure, the mast would create a negative impact on the character of the land. It would undermine the openness of the land which is one of the key features MOL is designated to protect.
  6. As part of the Brent River Park, and incoming West London Regional Park, it is a vital green space valued for nature connection, bringing a connected landscape and sense of tranquillity in a built-up urban environment.
  7. Brentham Meadows is used for informal recreation and local community physical and mental health and wellbeing.
  8. The telecoms provider has not demonstrated that it has looked for a less sensitive site or that the supposed coverage benefits outweigh the negative environmental cost.
  9. No Ecological Impact Assessment (EIA) has been carried out.
  10. Brentham Meadows is part of the Brent River Park which is a wildlife corridor that stretches 7km following the River Brent. The initial Community Consultation was rushed and the Brent River Park charity was not directly consulted. The charity discovered this proposal by word-of-mouth from concerned local residents and other local action / community groups.
  11. The Brent River Park is a functioning and vital floodplain. Building a telecoms mast will increase the hardstanding and reduce the meadow’s capacity for water storage. Building such a structure within a few metres of the River Brent, its functional floodplain and close to land at risk of surface water flooding, is ill-advised and wholly inappropriate.
  12. The proposed felling of trees, including an oak, in order to gain access to the site, is unacceptable. Felling older, more biodiverse-rich trees, to be replaced by whips is nothing more than a tick-box exercise causing damaging environmental destruction and biodiversity loss.
  13. Telecoms masts emit low-level non-ionising electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to transmit data and signals. While this radiation is considered safe for humans at regulated exposure levels, its impact on wildlife is far less understood and less thoroughly studied though studies are being carried out. In particular, bird species that migrate or rely on geomagnetic fields to navigate may be vulnerable. EMR may also affect insect behaviour, reproduction, and navigation – especially bees, which use electromagnetic cues. A 2018 review in Science of the Total Environment found evidence that EMR exposure could negatively affect insect populations and may be one factor contributing to insect decline. Some research suggests bats avoid areas near telecom masts, which may fragment their foraging and commuting routes. As protected species under UK and EU law, even indirect impacts like displacement are a planning concern. There is emerging concern that chronic low-level exposure could affect hormone regulation, sleep cycles or immune response for Amphibians and small mammals. We believe there are more suitable locations for the mast which could be sort that would lessen the risk of habitat and wildlife destruction in the Brent River Park.
  14. The previous application was for a 20m mast, this application is for 17.7m which is an insignificant ‘compromised’ drop in height to a structure that still causes the same negative issues for the park, wildlife, area and community.

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