Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans for a new 23-metre mobile phone mast at a holiday park in west Wales have been approved in a bid to improve 4G and 5G coverage in an area affected by “persistent not-spots” of coverage.
Freshwave Facilities Limited, through its agent Perry Williams Ltd, applied to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for a base station at Kiln Park, Haven Holiday Park, Marsh Road, Tenby.
The scheme proposed, which aims to improve the service provision for Vodafone, includes a 23.14m monopole supporting six antennas along with associated ground-based cabinets at a play area in the holiday park, which will be relocated.
The scheme was backed by Tenby Town Council.
Freshwave said in its supporting statement: “Freshwave are a neutral host provider who work to provide infrastructure for operators to share around the UK.
“The UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April, 2023, supports network densification through neutral host providers, such as Freshwave.”
The strategy says: “5G brings with it the need to deploy higher bandwidth services using higher frequency spectrum. This means that mobile base stations will have to be places closer together, also known as network densification.
“Neutral host models of deployment (where a third-party deploys network infrastructure and provides access or capacity to multiple providers) will likely have an important role to play in this.”
The applicants’ supporting statement continued: “The site is needed to provide improved 2G/4G/5G coverage and capacity for Vodafone, to ensure that their customers have access to the latest technologies currently available.
“The installation will meet the extra demands on the network in this area as new technologies improve, increasing the demand for 4G and 5G technologies.”
The statement listed alternative sites and concluded that Kiln Park was the most viable.
Nine frequency bands are used in the UK to deliver 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G coverage. Lower frequencies travel further but offer slower speeds, while higher frequencies have less range but are faster.
The application shows that 2100MHz coverage would improve across much of Tenby and the surrounding area.
An officer’s report recommending approval said: “The proposed mast would be sited on an area of managed amenity grassland adjacent to the existing outdoor swimming pool and children’s play area within the holiday park.”
The report added: “The chosen location utilises an already developed part of the holiday park, avoids intrusion into undeveloped coastal landscape, and benefits from the containment provided by surrounding buildings and mature vegetation.”
The report concluded: “Overall, the proposal represents an appropriate and proportionate form of telecommunications infrastructure that successfully balances the operational need for enhanced digital connectivity with the statutory purposes of the National Park.
“The limited and localised visual impacts are outweighed by the wider public benefits of improved 4G coverage and future 5G capability for residents, businesses and visitors within Tenby and the surrounding area.”
Park planners approved the application with conditions.
A separate 4G/5G mast proposal at The Salterns in Tenby was refused under permitted development rules because one cabinet exceeded the size limit, with a full application required.
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