A petition with hundreds of local signatures will be delivered to the Senedd today, opposing the erection of a 51-metre-high financial trading mast on the Preseli Hills.

In just three days the petition, which has been circulated in the locality of Bryberian, has gathered 700 signatures. An indication of the strong local feeling regarding the mast which has already been turned down by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

The applicants however, have put in an appeal which has been referred to the Welsh Government. The final deadline for people to submit representations on this is midnight tonight.

Campaigners opposed to the mast are concerned about its visual impact, the health impact of such a powerful transmitter sited near to people’s houses, fears of it setting a precedent, the effect on tourism and the fact that there was already mobile coverage in the area.

They are also concerned that a red flashing light at the top of the tower would cause light pollution and disturbance.

They say that the critical thing is for anyone with objections to the mast to convey this to the Welsh Government’s Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) before midnight tonight.

Objectors to the mast, which would sit 384 metres above sea level, have set up the group Custodians and Friends of the Preseli to fight the proposals and safeguard the unique qualities of the Preseli Hills in perpetuity.

The group’s Oppose the Tower Linktree website has links to its Facebook page, advice on submitting an objection and an easy to fill form.

Britannia Towers Ltd’s application, on behalf of Wholesailor, is for the erection of a 51-metre-high telecommunications tower supporting nine transmission dishes and six mobile coverage antennas on privately owned land at Pantmaenog Woodlands, Rosebush.

The development would also comprise of equipment cabinets at ground level and would be surrounded by a chain link security fence.

The application states that the tower would primarily be used to link two data centres in London and Ireland, mostly related to financial trading.

It would also hold mobile phone antennae which, according to the application will increase coverage in the Rosebush area.

It is thought that on a clear day it would be visible from Swansea.

Tivyside Advertiser: An artist's impression, based on figures submitted to planning, of how the proposed mast will look

Maenclochog Community Council also opposed the original application, saying it “would be a blot on the landscape” and that a project of this size should have had wider public consultation as well as raising concerns as to its potential negative impact on nature surrounding the site, including polecats living in Pantmaenog woods.

Last October the national park’s planning authority turned down the application, saying the mast ‘would have an unacceptably adverse impact on the visual amenities and landscape character of the national park’.

The park planners also said that the application as it was contrary to several local and national policies.

However, earlier this month the national park’s development management committee heard that the applicants had lodged with the Welsh Government’s Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), which manages planning appeals.

The way the appeals process works is that anybody who wishes to object to the erection of the mast has until midnight tonight to voice their concerns.

The petition delivered today is part of this, but the Custodians and Friends of the Preseli are appealing to people to write to PEDW to voice their concerns.

“This is a mast like nobody’s ever seen before,” said Custodians and Friends of the Preseli member, Jane Rutherford.

“In the immediate locality round Brynberian, in just the last three days we’ve got over 700 signatures for today’s petition. During October we plan a much wider, online petition.

“However, the critical thing is for people to send a written objection to PEDW today. We have made it super easy to let your opinions be known.

“Even if it’s only a few lines with a signature, it still counts as a letter. It doesn’t have to be technical; it doesn’t have to be a whole letter. It can be a few lines on the form, but it needs to be done today.”