A 12.5M high mobile phone mast has been refused outside a Chester chip shop.
Operator Telefonica O2 UK told planning officers at the city council it was seeking approval for the installation on a footpath facing a mini roundabout at the junction of Cliveden Road and Poplar Road in Lache.
The mast would be directly in front of a chippie and a general store.
Objections were raised by neighbours and by the Lache Residents Association.
They insisted the equipment would be detrimental to visual amenity, too close to shops and houses and would add to anti social behaviour.
Fears were put forward that youths would stand on the cabinet and there would be vandalism.
The installation would be “highly visible” according to planning officers and would affect residential amenity.
They felt O2 had not taken account of the closeness of the mast to the businesses and nearby homes.
The operator told the city council that Red Hill House, used by Vodafone, was outside the search area.
St Clare's Catholic church, used by Orange, would have been the preferred option but was not interested in entering into any agreement.
A site at the junction of Circular Drive and Lache Lane had been discounted as it was too close to homes and detrimental to residential amenity.
Cliveden Road was not ideal but a telegraph pole type mast with a shroud was proposed and the height would be kept to a minimum.
Recommending the application should be refused, planning officers pointed out that O2 accepted the location was unsuitable to some extent and suggested the company had not shown that a more suitable alternative site had been fully considered.
The city council agreed under delegated powers the mast should be rejected due to its highly visible location and appearance.
