RESIDENTS celebrated with champagne after an application to build a 40ft 5G phone mast near their houses was rejected.

Neighbours around Heathy Brow in Peacehaven were furious and concerned over plans put forward by Hutchison 3G UK Ltd, which owns mobile network Three, to build a 5G tower outside their homes.

However, Lewes District Council refused permission to construct the mast, It said the proposal was “incongruous, overbearing and overly dominant in the street scene and fails to integrate into, and take account of, the surrounding environment”.

It also said not enough information had been supplied for the reasoning and justification of the proposed siting.

Juliette Kent, who lives along the road where the mast would have been built, had expressed concern that the tower would be at the site of an “accident black spot”.

She said: “It wasn’t a case of if but when the mast would get hit if it had gone ahead. Two houses are very close to the proposed spot, so if it had come down, it would have gone through the roof.

“It’s absolutely brilliant that it is not going ahead, we’re all elated. We were a bit gobsmacked at first - we didn’t believe that little people like us could make a difference like that.

“We had a little party yesterday in the street. We had a bottle of champagne. It was like a little celebration for the fact that we could get somewhere and people did listen to us.

“It shows that when a community does come together, you can get somewhere.

Phil Davis, councillor for Peacehaven North, also welcomed the decision by the council to reject the plans.

He said: “I had a conversation with council officers and they had advised me that it was possible the application would be refused.

“I am pleased about that, as it now gives the opportunity for the council to engage with Hutchison and identify a more suitable mast.

“I hope everything will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.”

A spokesman for Three said: "5G rollout is vital for the residents and businesses of Peacehaven.

"We want to offer the local area a great network experience and our planners determined that a new site was required to deliver it.

"We are considering the council’s reasons for refusal and assessing our options."