Mobile phone company Three has defended the location of a new 5G mast in Marske labelled “absurd” and “ridiculous” by a local councillor.

The mast, in Hummershill Lane, towers over a local takeaway, Soprano’s Pizza, and has been placed in the middle of a pavement.

Marske councillor Dr Tristan Learoyd said the “huge 40ft mast” was obstructing the takeaway’s delivery business with its entire frontage obscured by the structure and associated cabinets.

Three told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the mast, erected by its parent company CK Hutchinson Networks, was determined to be in the best location for local connectivity, other sites having been considered, and a shorter pole had been used to reduce the visual appearance.

5G infrastructure has become an increasingly common sight on many high streets and near to busy residential areas as telecommunications firms race to upgrade networks so phone users can take advantage of the latest technology.

Such infrastructure is regarded as ‘permitted development’, meaning prior approval is not required from local planning authorities, although local consultation is still required.

Cllr Learoyd said: “This mast is metres from an overgrown grassed area and verges, which could have been used. 

“The location outside a business and in the middle of a pavement is absurd. It is the worst I have seen to date.”

Cllr Learoyd, who represents the St Germain’s ward, previously uploaded a video to Facebook giving another example of “irresponsible placing” when it came to such masts and described noise from fan units that typically accompany them.

The now independent councillor also said there had been no dialogue with the public to allay potential health concerns and suggested it was cheaper for firms to site masts on public, rather than private land.

The LDRS understands letters were sent to two takeaways in the vicinity, including the one highlighted by Cllr Learoyd, and a nearby cricket club to flag up the planned installation, but no comment was received from those consulted, nor from any households who were also approached.

A local resident did object during the consultation that took place in 2022 in a written submission and also criticised the quality of a statutory public notice that was displayed, which he said was “faded” and written in pink.

Three said the consultation that took place included local councillors and the local parish council, Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council also did not object.

In e-mail correspondence seen by the LDRS from earlier this year, another ward councillor Kendra Evans said she shared concerns about the location, however it was sited “some distance” from any nearby homes.

She also said she had been reassured that fans – referred to by Cllr Learoyd – were exceptionally quiet and should not disturb any residents who would be too far away from them.

A Three spokeswoman said: “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Marske. 

“We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this new site will be critical to making that happen.

“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.”