Plans submitted for new 20-metre mobile mast at Newcastle Great Park

Illustrative image showing a proposed 20-metre telecommunications mast on Great Parkway at Newcastle Great Park, positioned near the former Sage headquarters, with surrounding trees, equipment cabinets and a location map

Plans have been submitted for a new telecommunications mast at Newcastle Great Park which could significantly improve mobile phone coverage and data capacity across the estate.

The proposal relates to land off Great Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 9AA, close to the former Sage headquarters and west of the A1.

Newcastle City Council planning application 2026/1230/01/NOT is currently listed as pending consideration.

The development is being brought forward by Icon Tower Infrastructure Ltd and is intended to provide a shared telecommunications site capable of being used by multiple mobile network operators.

It is important to make clear that, at the time of publication, the proposal has not yet been confirmed as approved.

WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED?

The current proposal is for a 20-metre-high telecommunications monopole with a single headframe.

The supporting planning statement describes antennas and transmission equipment mounted on the mast, together with ground-based equipment cabinets inside a secure fenced compound.

The mast itself would be constructed from galvanised steel unless Newcastle City Council requests a different finish.

The proposed compound would occupy a relatively small area of land, with the supporting documents referring to a concrete base measuring approximately 6.4 metres by 6.4 metres.

There is a slight discrepancy between the documents currently available.

The supplementary planning statement describes the mast as accommodating 12 antennas and two transmission dishes, while the current public planning register description refers to six antennas.

The overall proposal, however, remains for a 20-metre shared telecommunications monopole with associated equipment.

WHERE WOULD IT BE?

The proposed mast would be situated on Great Parkway, near the former Sage headquarters.

According to the applicant, the selected site sits between two established rows of mature trees approximately 17 to 18 metres high.

This is significant because the proposed mast would stand at 20 metres.

The applicant argues that the trees would therefore screen almost the entire structure, with principally the upper section and headframe extending above the treeline.

Additional tree cover around the former Sage site is also expected to reduce longer-distance views of the installation.

The site is west of the A1 and away from the main clusters of residential properties within Great Park.

ORIGINAL PLAN WAS FOR A MUCH LARGER STRUCTURE

Interestingly, the mast now being proposed is considerably smaller than the scheme originally discussed with Newcastle City Council.

Pre-application proposals submitted to the council in September 2025 involved a 30-metre-high lattice tower with two separate headframes.

Newcastle City Council's Planning Team subsequently raised a number of concerns.

The council's feedback included concerns that the original tower would be taller and wider than structures it would normally consider acceptable and could harm the character and appearance of the area.

The council also indicated that it preferred a thinner monopole design rather than a large lattice tower.

The proximity of Newcastle International Airport was another issue raised, with the original 30-metre height identified as something that could potentially concern the airport.

Following that feedback, the applicant redesigned the proposal.

The tower was reduced by 10 metres, from 30 metres to 20 metres.

The lattice tower was replaced with a slimmer monopole.

The two proposed headframes were also reduced to a single headframe.

It is this substantially revised design that is now before the council.

ECOLOGY CONCERNS WERE ALSO RAISED

The council's Ecology Officer raised concerns during the pre-application process because the land had previously been identified for biodiversity net gain mitigation associated with another Great Park development.

The applicant acknowledges that the mast would occupy land identified for biodiversity purposes but argues that the area required for the telecommunications compound has been reduced to the smallest practicable footprint.

The supporting statement says trees have already been planted in the wider area and argues that development of this relatively small part of the land is not prohibited.

The applicant also says it has deliberately selected a location where existing mature trees can remain and provide screening for the mast.

POTENTIAL FUTURE BUS LINK

There is another interesting feature of the location.

During the pre-application process, the council's Highways Officer noted that the landscaping area is identified within the Newcastle Great Park masterplan as a potential future bus link.

Highways officers also raised questions about how maintenance vehicles would safely access the mast.

The applicant's response is that maintenance workers could park in an appropriate location and access the compound on foot where necessary.

The potential bus link and telecommunications proposal therefore appear to relate to the same wider area of land, although the documents do not indicate that construction of a future bus route is currently proposed as part of this application.

WHY DOES GREAT PARK NEED ANOTHER MOBILE SITE?

Poor mobile reception has been a long-running complaint for some Great Park residents.

The planning documents say telecommunications provision has not kept pace with the growth of the estate over the last two decades.

Of particular interest is reference to research undertaken by telecommunications consultancy FarrPoint.

According to the planning statement, Newcastle City Council bin lorries were fitted with equipment capable of recording mobile data coverage while travelling their normal routes.

The applicant says the resulting data demonstrated that mobile network provision within Newcastle Great Park was inadequate.

The proposed mast is intended to address those coverage and capacity problems.

NOT JUST FOR ONE MOBILE NETWORK

This would not be a mast built exclusively for one mobile phone company.

Icon Tower Infrastructure Ltd describes itself as an independent telecommunications infrastructure provider rather than a retail mobile network.

Its business model is to construct infrastructure which can then be shared by different operators.

The documents say infrastructure of this type can potentially be used by operators including EE, Three, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2, together with other wireless services.

It could also potentially accommodate fixed wireless broadband, emergency communications or other wireless services.

The intention is therefore to create one shared structure rather than different mobile operators each seeking to build separate masts around Great Park.

The applicant says the mast would only actually be deployed once at least one operator had committed to installing equipment on it.

DESIGNED WITH FUTURE NETWORKS IN MIND

The proposed structure is also being described as "future-proofed".

The applicant says it has been designed with sufficient capacity to allow equipment to be upgraded as mobile technology develops without requiring the mast itself to be removed and replaced.

Although the immediate benefits would relate to existing mobile technologies including 4G and 5G, the planning statement refers to the possibility of future generations of mobile technology also using the infrastructure.

That does not mean Great Park is immediately getting 6G or 7G services.

Rather, the applicant's argument is that the physical tower should be capable of supporting future equipment upgrades.

OTHER LOCATIONS WERE CONSIDERED

The planning documents reveal that a number of alternative locations around Great Park were investigated before the Great Parkway site was selected.

These included:

• Land between Brunton Lane and Great Parkway

• Land south of Brunton Lane

• Bowmont House and nearby rooftops

• Great Park Community Centre

• Land around Abberwick Walk / the "Circle"

The land between Brunton Lane and Great Parkway was rejected because the applicant considered there to be insufficient natural screening, meaning a mast would be significantly more prominent.

Land south of Brunton Lane was rejected because of potential visual effects on nearby residential areas.

A rooftop installation around Bowmont House was investigated but the buildings were considered too low to provide the required mobile coverage.

Great Park Community Centre was also considered.

However, the supporting statement says the two-storey building would not provide sufficient height and that its rooftop was not considered capable of accommodating the necessary telecommunications equipment.

The lack of surrounding screening was another reason given for rejecting that location.

An option around Abberwick Walk was also investigated but was considered to have a greater potential impact on nearby homes and sits considerably lower than the preferred Great Parkway location.

The applicant ultimately concluded that the Great Parkway site offered the best combination of technical performance, distance from homes and natural screening.

NEWCASTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONSULTED

Because the mast would be within three kilometres of an aerodrome or airfield, Newcastle International Airport was formally notified of the proposal.

The supporting documentation says an Aerodrome Notice was issued to the airport.

At the time that document was prepared, no response from the airport had been received.

The original height of the structure was one of the reasons airport proximity had been highlighted during early discussions with the council.

The revised mast is now 20 metres rather than the originally proposed 30 metres.

WHAT ABOUT 5G AND HEALTH?

The documents submitted with the proposal include a declaration relating to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, commonly known as ICNIRP.

Telecommunications operators are required to ensure installations comply with the relevant public exposure limits.

The separate UK Government 5G guidance supplied with the application explains that 5G, like previous generations of mobile technology, uses radio spectrum.

These radio waves are classed as non-ionising radiation.

The Government guidance distinguishes this from ionising radiation such as X-rays and gamma radiation, explaining that radio frequencies used for mobile communications do not carry sufficient energy to directly damage cells in the way ionising radiation can.

The guidance also states that telecommunications companies must comply with the ICNIRP public exposure guidelines.

Ofcom carries out measurements around mobile base stations to assess compliance with those limits.

HOW TALL IS 20 METRES?

Twenty metres is approximately 65½ feet.

However, the applicant argues that the effective visual impact should be considerably less than might be expected from that figure because the mast would sit among trees measuring approximately 17 to 18 metres.

On that basis, around the upper two to three metres of the structure would principally extend above the surrounding tree line.

The applicant accepts that the top of the mast will remain visible because antennas cannot be completely screened without interfering with their operation.

WHAT TYPE OF PLANNING APPLICATION IS THIS?

This is not being processed in exactly the same way as a conventional full planning application.

It has been submitted as a Prior Telecommunications Notice under permitted development legislation.

The applicant's planning case is that the principle of telecommunications development is established through national permitted development legislation, with the council's consideration focusing particularly on matters including the siting and appearance of the equipment.

That does not mean approval has already been granted.

Newcastle City Council still has to determine the application through the relevant prior-approval process.

CURRENT STATUS

Application reference:

2026/1230/01/NOT

Location:

Great Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 9AA

Development:

20-metre telecommunications monopole and associated equipment

Applicant / infrastructure provider:

Icon Tower Infrastructure Ltd

Current status:

Pending consideration

The application was received during July 2026 and remains listed as pending at the time of publication.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Newcastle City Council will determine the application through the telecommunications prior-approval process.

If the proposal proceeds, the mast could provide a shared location from which multiple mobile networks could improve coverage and data capacity across Newcastle Great Park.

For residents who have experienced poor reception or slow mobile data around the estate, this could represent a significant improvement.

There will nevertheless also be legitimate planning questions around appearance, ecology, the use of the surrounding land and the relationship with future Great Park infrastructure.

Great Park Gazette will follow the application and publish the outcome when a decision is recorded.

For now, the key point is that a new mobile mast has been proposed for Newcastle Great Park – but it has not yet been confirmed as approved.

Proposed application site