Whipsnade zoo finally joins the information superhighway as phone mast gets the go-ahead

Plans for the mast, in the grounds of the zoo, were approved by Central Bedfordshire Planning in May to the delight of the zoo and neighbouring communities.

In a supporting letter to the council the zoo’s chief operating officer Owen Craft said: “The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have been in discussions with Shared Access for the proposed siting of a mobile phone mast for a period of not less than 25 years at the proposed site within the boundaries of Whipsnade Zoo.

“Whipsnade Zoo, its visitors and the surrounding communities have suffered from poor mobile coverage limiting business opportunities such as taking advantage and adoption of modern technologies.

“Whipsnade Zoo attracts circa 800,000 visitors to our local area annually who have little or no mobile phone coverage with existing facilities. The provision of this mobile phone mast will significantly help with our plans to engage with more visitors to Whipsnade through wayfinding as well as inspire, inform and empower our visitors about the breadth of our conservation and science impact within a Zoo visit. It will also greatly improve our resilience and act as a key communication channel for our operational teams, that have solely relied on radio frequency to date.

“The proposed location within our boundaries provides the optimal location considering future business plans, with no impact on our existing operations/animal welfare. The desired coverage will clearly provide local economic benefits to the surrounding villages too.”

Welcoming the move Whipsnade Parish Council said a well attended public meeting with the scheme's promoters, Shared Access Ltd and their consultants, Pegasus, had shown overwhelming public support.

The council said it “is fully supportive of the objectives of the new mast to provide improved 4G signal coverage in our area and the benefits it will provide in terms of enhanced efficiency for local businesses and residents working from home, to the neighbouring rural communities of nearly 5000 local residents, and improved outdoor safety for access to emergency services when required for both residents and visitors.

Nearby Studham parish council said it was strongly in favour. It said: “There has been considerable frustration over the years regarding the lack of mobile signal coverage in Studham and neighbouring parishes.”