Doxford Park: EE and 3 want giant 5G mast taller than 10-storey block to fix mobile phone coverage gap

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for a parcel of land in the Doxford International Business Park area.

The applicant, listed as ‘MBNL (EE UK Ltd and H3G UK Ltd)’, is seeking permission for a “35-metre-high lattice tower”, supporting antennas and transmission dishes, to improve mobile connectivity in the area.

A supporting letter submitted to council officials said the applicant previously had a “radio base” in the business park but that the site was “lost from the network for reasons beyond the operator’s control”.

New plans aim to bring forward a “permanent replacement site” on a parcel of land adjacent to 3 Azure Court and developers say this is required to “provide new 5G services to the surrounding area for EE and 3” and improve the network.

This includes “ensuring high quality customer experience is maintained and up to date technology is provided as demands on the network increase and technologies change”, along with “enhanced 2G coverage for EE, and enhanced 4G coverage for EE and 3”.

The supporting letter adds: “The 2G provision allows for calls to be made and texts to be sent. 4G provision allows internet access, video calling, data downstreaming, accessing social media networks and emailing to name just a few of the benefits.

“Therefore, to maintain high quality indoor 4G services into this area would promote activity in line with the general population demand as the ownership of smart devices increases.

“5G will deliver unparalleled speeds and capacity, with significantly reduced latency, which will be needed to deliver numerous innovative applications from autonomous cars to Internet of Things [devices].”

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The application site sits within the Doxford International Business Park, near its boundary with the A19.

Those behind plans for the telecoms tower said applicants were “limited in siting options” and that there was a “requirement to provide equivalent replacement coverage and capacity and new 5G for this area of Doxford International Business Park, whilst also ensuring that the proposed site fits into their existing network alongside existing and proposed cells”.

It was noted that “care has been taken to locate the proposed equipment in the commercial area, as far away as possible from the nearby residential properties” and that street lighting columns, CCTV columns and commercial signage would “help the equipment assimilate with its surroundings”.

Developers also confirmed the structure had been “designed to be able to support the equipment for additional operators” and that a “lattice tower is the most suitable design from a technical viewpoint”.

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This includes the design being able to “facilitate greater coverage (as they give better scope for antenna orientation) and provide the structural capability required to be able to support the weight and size of all the operators’ telecommunications equipment”.

Developers said the plans would have social and economic benefits, including “providing continued reliable and high quality mobile broadband connections including 5G”, which would “support sustainable growth meeting the needs of the population and strengthening global competitiveness”.

The proposed mast’s 35-metre height also aims to allow coverage to “clear the existing buildings at Doxford International Business Park and the built and natural form including mature vegetation to the east”. At that height, the mast would be taller than the average 10-storey building (30.5 metres), according to civil engineering website CivilSir.

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The supporting letter adds: “It is therefore considered that the proposal before you strikes a good balance between environmental impact and operational considerations.

“The proposed height and design represents the best compromise between the visual impact of the proposal on the surrounding area and meeting the technical requirements for the site.

“Taking all matters into account it is considered that this proposal, to provide replacement 2G, 4G and the latest 5G service provision, emergency services network provision, delivering the capability required from a single network installation, would not appear out of place within the street scene.”

A decision on the planning application will be made following a period of council consultation.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website lists a decision deadline of July 15, 2025.

For more information on the planning application, or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 25/01023/FU4