Plans have been submitted for a new 25-metre 5G mast near a supermarket in an Oxfordshire town.

An application has been lodged by Freshwave to determine if prior approval is needed for telecommunications base station comprising a monopole supporting six antennas and two dishes with three equipment cabinets and an electric meter cabinet.

The proposed site is within tall trees approximately 150 metres down New Close Lane off the A415 roundabout near Lidl in Witney.

(Image: Freshwave/WODC) Freshwave says it has been trying to identify a suitable site in the Ducklington area for a radio base station "that will improve service provision for Virgin Media O2".

The facility will be part of "Virgin Media O2's continued network improvement programme".

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Planning documents state: "There is a specific requirement for a radio base station at this location to upgrade 4G provision as well as new 5G services to the area.

"Mobiles can only work with a network of base stations in place where people want to use their mobile phones or other wireless devices. Without base stations, the mobile phones, and other devices we rely on simply won’t work."

It adds that a notice has been sent to the Ministry of Defence due to the site’s location within the defence safeguarding area for RAF Brize Norton.

The application can be viewed at planning reference 24/02642/PNT on West Oxfordshire District Council's planning portal.