Changes coming to major York hotel as plans get go ahead
Changes to The Grand hotel have been approved (Image: Pic supplied)
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Changes are coming to a major York hotel following the approval of plans.
An application to install upgraded 5G equipment on the roof of The Grand hotel has been approved by City of York Council.
Plans from telecommunications company Cornerstone stated the works came as part of the rollout of new mobile network infrastructure following changes to commercial relationships.
Council planning officers stated the works were deemed to be acceptable and the setting of the Grade II*-listed building and surrounding conservation area would be preserved.
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Cornerstone's plans will see one dish replaced and the six existing antennas swapped for nine new ones.
They will be mounted on the 15m-high steel lattice tower which originally served the railway industry prior to the building's conversion into a hotel.
The building, which was constructed in 1906, was originally the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway before reopening as a hotel in 2010 following extensive renovations.
Cornerstone's application stated the changes to the equipment followed a dramatic rise in the demand for mobile connectivity and technological advances in recent years.
It added the frequency of the radio waves broadcasting 5G from masts was below levels which were harmful to health.
Upgraded 5G equipment is set to be installed on the mast on the roof of The Grand (Image: NQ)
A planning document for the application stated: "Network planners have identified a need for an upgraded installation and the proposed development will address this identified need and continued customer demands.
"Overall, the proposal represents a carefully considered form of development that appropriately balances operational needs with the sensitivities of a highly constrained historic environment.
"By utilising an existing rooftop location within a sustainable city centre setting, and through a restrained and discreet design approach, the scheme minimises harm to the significance of the Grade II*-listed building and its wider heritage context.
"While a low level of less than substantial harm has been identified in heritage terms, this is outweighed by the clear public benefits associated with enhanced telecommunications infrastructure, which supports economic activity, connectivity and the ongoing vitality of York city centre."