A 20-metre high 5G mast could be built near Warwick Hospital after plans were signed off by the district council.

EE and Hutchison 3G had applied to build the new monopole on a verge along Guys Cross Park Road, to replace the existing telecoms set up on a "dilapidated" water tower.

While the pole, which has now been given prior approval by Warwick District Council, will be close to homes, the developers said a number of other locations had been considered but discounted.

More than 30 objections were raised to the scheme, including one from Warwickshire County Council's landscape team which said the mast would dominate the streetscene.

Despite this, district planners said: "Having considered the siting and appearance of the mast, it is considered that it would not cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the area and is therefore is acceptable. 

"Officers consider that the applicant has successfully demonstrated that the proposed location of the mast apparatus is the one which results in the least visual harm to the surrounding area so far as practicable."

The application said the current apparatus will be removed from the water town once the new pole is in place.

And it said the mast needed to be 20 metres high to avoid interference.

"The social and economic benefits of providing reliable and high quality mobile 5G connection support growth in productivity, efficiency and labour force," it added.

"It is contended that the positive benefits to the modernisation of this mobile network service will outweigh any minor loss of visual amenity to the surrounding area."