Furious mum parks car on pavement to stop 5G mast from being built
A angry mum caused a stand-off by parking her car on a pavement to stop workers from building a 5G mast there.
Jodie Whitworth was one of many locals who protested the installation of the mast in Southampton as they say it would block the pathway for pedestrians.
Although 5G allows more people to enjoy reliable connectivity, some people are opposed to the masts due to their appearance.
In the case of Jodie, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
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Although the installation of the telecommunications pole has not been approved, Southampton City Council did permit a request from T-Mobile to dig 'trial holes for the feasibility of a potential new mast'.
But when contractors turned up, the 44-year-old - who is currently on maternity leave from her finance job - dumped her blue Citroen C1 in the spot they were set to start working on.
Jodie said: "One of our neighbours knocked on our door on Wednesday and told us that they're putting up the mast.
"We spoke to the workers and they told us that they were going to start digging.
"My fiancé told me to take our little car and put it where they were going to dig a hole. Although, I think he meant on the road, not on the pavement.
"I rang the council planning department and asked them to say 'yes or no' on whether a 5G mast would be put up on the pavement, but all they said was that they would pass my request on.
"I immediately reported myself to the police and highways authority.
"When a police car turned up I moved my car because I didn't want to cause them any trouble.
"It later transpired that the the workers were digging a test hole, but why do they need to do that if the mast is not going ahead?"
She continued: "What we're really unhappy about is the sneakiness of it. We objected to the plans and they’re still going ahead.
"This is a very popular route for people to get to Southampton Common with pushchairs and bikes and the mast would block the pavement."
Neighbour Anne Wheeler, 79, was full of praise for the mum, saying: "On Wednesday I noticed that there were bollards down the road on both sides and workers were arriving.
"My neighbour Jodie acted to take things into her own hands. She parked her car on the pavement and then phoned the police to tell them.
"She did a great job. I think she's a hero. It's not the right place for a mast, there would be no room for pedestrians.
"We just want more information from the council."
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “Southampton City Council has approved a permit request from T-Mobile to carry out trial holes for the feasibility of a potential new telecommunications mast.
“The installation of a telecommunications mast in this location has not been approved and requires an application for prior approval for its siting and appearance to be submitted to the local planning authority.”
The council said it has not received any further applications for prior approval since that decision and it is seeking an update from T-Mobile on its future plans.
No appeals were made to the original planning application which was rejected in October 2021.
LADbible has contacted T-Mobile for comment.
Topics: Technology, UK News
Daisy Phillipson