A controversial plan to build a 15m mobile internet pole in Reading has been rejected.

Hutchison, which owns Three, want to put the 5G mast on pavement outside Glendale House in Kidmore Road, Caversham, but neighbours claimed it looked like it had come from ‘War of the Worlds.’

The proposal was refused by Reading Borough Council yesterday (Thursday), on the grounds it was unsightly and that excavation could damage roots of nearby trees.

The planning authority stated that the developer had failed to look for preferable alternative sites.

The news will come gladly to some neighbours, like Paul Wigmore, who felt the pole was ‘massively intrusive.’

Mr Wigmore made 3D impressions of what the mast might look like once built using computer editing software, pictured above.

The mobile network proposed the mast would generate better connectivity for mobile phone users.

During the application, a Three spokesperson said: “5G rollout is vital for residents and businesses of Caversham. We want to offer the community a reliable network experience and this site will be critical to making that happen.

“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they need to be situated where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage. We carry out extensive searches and surveys to evaluate all the options.”

Reading Borough Council are working with Hutchison to resolve concerns and allow permission for a mast, but an agreement could not be made within the allotted timescale of the application.

The planning authority advised Hutchison to seek their pre-application advice before another submission to avoid refusal.