The proposed 40-metre tall structure, close to the summit, has prompted an angry response from locals and users of the fell from further afield.
Campaigner Joanna Sebborn spoke to local democracy reporter Paul Faulkner about why she has decided to ensure as many people as possible know about the plans.
Campaigner Joanna Sebborn spoke to local democracy reporter Paul Faulkner about why she has decided to ensure as many people as possible know about the plans.
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00:00 It's going to be a large metal structure and it's not going to look like a tree,
00:06 however much they want it to look like one.
00:10 [Music]
00:38 Anna, what were your thoughts when you first discovered that a foam mast was planned for the taped off area just to the side of us here?
00:44 Well, we were shocked initially. We found out from a Lancashire Post article online, so there was no notification to us.
00:54 You'd think something that is going to be visible from our garden would be notified by the council or the company,
01:01 and we just couldn't believe that someone was thinking that they could put a structure like this in an AONB.
01:09 An area of outstanding natural beauty.
01:11 Yeah, there's very strict guidelines that the local residents have to adhere to and other developers.
01:20 If I wanted to put a structure that big in my garden, it would definitely be no, I wouldn't want to. It would spoil it for everybody.
01:28 There's only going to be five trees removed from this very densely packed wooded area here.
01:33 The mast itself will protrude about 10 metres above the top of the tree line,
01:38 but when all's said and done, you won't notice it, will you, until you're right on top of it.
01:42 It's not going to be something in a dense wooded area like this that's particularly obvious, is it?
01:46 I think the opinion of the company of Cornerstone is that they're doing everything they can to hide it.
01:53 It's going to be painted green and the fencing's going to be green, but it doesn't fit in with the natural surroundings.
02:00 It's a completely jarring visual when you're coming up.
02:05 This is the main sculpture trail at Beacon Fell, and it's just beside the path.
02:09 There's going to be a huge hard standing, it's going to be a 10 metre by 10 metre enclosure with a generator.
02:15 Although it's painted green, the bottom of the mast is not going to be tiny, it's going to be a large metal structure.
02:25 It's not going to look like a tree, however much they want it to look like one.
02:30 Once the other trees have gone, it's going to leave the area quite open.
02:34 That's going to make it even more obvious.
02:38 Then there's the part that sticks up above the trees that's 10 metres, that's like a house on top of the trees.
02:46 It's the really ugly bit, the bit with the antennas.
02:51 Beacon Fell can be seen from all over the AONB, from Parlick Fell, Longridge Fell, it's what you can see and everyone will be able to see it.
03:01 What would you say to people who'd actually welcome better mobile phone reception and better broadband capacity in a rural area like this?
03:07 This is the main reason that Cornerstone have cited for placing the mast here.
03:13 Apparently the local communities are living in digital poverty but we're not, I can assure you.
03:18 Five years ago we invested in the Barn project which is the broadband for the rural north.
03:25 This is a project that has solved the broadband issue, we've now got the fastest broadband in the UK.
03:32 Even if we had 4G, a perfect 4G signal, it's still seven times faster than that.
03:38 Many people have said they want to be able to make emergency calls but there is phone signal.
03:43 We've just both made phone calls.
03:46 From the top of here there is phone signal, there's certainly enough phone signal to make an emergency call.
03:52 It's just not an argument, it's not worth spoiling the beauty.
03:57 It surely is the last green natural space left in Preston.
04:03 I can't think of anywhere else that is this unspoilt.
04:07 You may have invested locally as a community but isn't there an argument for saying that there needs to be a network structure that sits above that for nationwide capacity?
04:16 And areas can't really opt out of that, can they?
04:19 If that is what's required and that's what the government want, then they need to look for sites that are not within a protected area of outstanding natural beauty.
04:27 Beaconfell shouldn't have to take one for the team because they've decided that that's the only spot.
04:35 If there is an issue with reception and phone signal elsewhere, then maybe the mass needs to be sited nearer to where the issue is because the issue isn't here.
04:46 [Birds chirping]
04:56 Coming up here I've been flyering and talking to visitors.
05:00 Everyone that I've spoken to is horrified.
05:03 And unaware.
05:04 And unaware, yeah. There's been no notification.
05:07 The only notice was a tiny little sign stuck on a stick that's been shoved in the ground about three metres back from the path.
05:16 People haven't seen it.
05:18 The local residents haven't been informed.
05:20 And it almost feels like they're trying to sneak it past us and then it gets approved and there's nothing that we can do.
05:28 So I wanted to make sure that that isn't what happens.
05:32 And I know there'll be people who do want the mass and the people who don't.
05:35 And I want to just make people aware they can make their own decision when they've read the details.
05:41 Maybe they can come up to the site and see exactly what it's going to look like.
05:44 There isn't somewhere where you can come and get away from it all and Beaconfell is the place that you can do that.
05:50 And that's going to be taken away.
05:52 So the firm that wants to put this mast here, your message is they've got a fight on their hands.
05:56 I think they've messed with the wrong people really.
05:59 I think they've perhaps just had a look at it, not visited and not realised how special the place is.
06:06 And a lot of the local residents, the visitors, people who come here maybe once a month or some people come here daily to walk their dogs.
06:15 They're very passionate about Beaconfell and how it should be protected.
06:18 So I don't think this is a fight they're going to win.
06:23 [Music plays]
06:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]