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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Isabelle Bates

Man furious and says newly-erected mast has knocked £10,000 off his house price

A man is furious that a mast has been installed near his home knocking £10,000 of its value, he claims.

Brian Swanson, 61, went to his retirement home in Wolverhampton to pick up some post earlier this month when he first glimpsed the tall metal structure.

The 61-year-old says he was left stunned by the mast, which he feels blocks the view of a nearby park, Birmingham Live reports.

Brian says he now faces the option of selling the flat, which he has owned for 15 years and rented out until recently, for '£10,000 less'.

He said he was hoping to move there with his partner - but claims she now 'refuses' to live near a mast.

"I was livid to tell you the truth," Brain said.

Brian says £10,000 has been knocked off the value of his home (Birmingham Live)

"I haven't got a clue where to complain to but will do as soon as I find out.

"I don't live there but have owned the flat for 15 years and rented it out. I wanted to move there as a retirement home for myself, as it had lovely views of the park.

"I have family all over the country and abroad and was hoping they could come and visit there. But when I went over earlier this month I looked out of the window and thought 'what the hell is that?'

"There was just a great big grey mast right outside of the window. I went to check the most and take metre readings when I saw it."

When asked if he thinks that the mast has impacted the value of his property, Mr Swanson said: "Absolutely. Nobody wants to see a great big mast with a box at the side.

"There are plenty of parklands there where it could have been hidden. But I've had no notification of it beforehand.

"It has definitely reduced the value. I know that I wouldn't buy a home with a huge mast straight in front of the window. I want to get a valuation but I would say it's knocked off about £10,000."

The 61-year-old was planning to move into the home (Birmingham Live)

Brian's partner was due to move in with him but they had a 'falling out' prior to the mast being erected, he said.

"My partner was going to move into the flat with me but there's no way she'd live near a mast," he added.

"She won't even use a mobile phone she's that paranoid. We've fallen out now but if we hadn't then there's no way she would have come here.

"Nobody knows the long term effects of living so close to a mast. You could get brain damage from the waves - microwaves or whatever they are - I mean I'm not a scientist but there could be health issues because of them."

Mr Swanson claims that he did not receive a letter pre-warning him of the mast going up.

He said: "Someone said that a notice was put up on a lamppost but that's no good. I'd see that from the window and think it was a poster for a lost cat or something.

"Unless you walk past there then you wouldn't see it. I feel like they've just chucked it up. They know that everyone would have complained about it."

He added that the impact of the mast has forced him to reconsider moving into the flat.

He said: "It has spoilt it now - I've considered selling it and think I could lose money."

A City of Wolverhampton Council spokesperson said: “Three (3) are responsible for this mast in Patshull Avenue.

"The council has limited control over the installation of telecommunications masts and can only comment on some aspects of the proposed siting and appearance of the masts.

Brian plan to complain (Birmingham Live)

"We placed site notices at the location on 3 August 2021 inviting comments about the planned mast and also included the proposal on our website. No objections or comments were received in this case."

A Three spokesperson said: "5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Wolverhampton. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site is critical to making that happen.

"Masts need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.

"We carried out extensive searches and surveys to evaluate siting options before applying for planning permission on Patshull Avenue. Wolverhampton City Council granted planning permission in September 2021.”

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