A bid to erect a towering 20m 5G mast in the centre of Canterbury have been approved by the city council.

Mobile infrastructure services company Cornerstone applied to boost phone coverage for Telefonica by upgrading an existing mast in Rheims Way.

They say the imposing height at 20m - which is taller than four stacked double-decker buses - is “essential in order to provide equivalent replacement coverage to the target coverage area”.

The application states: “The existing radio base station has been in situ on Rheims Way for a number of years and has become an established part of the streetscene.

“Technology advances - including 5G service provision - and additional demands on the operator’s mobile network system in the area have meant that additional antennas need to be installed to facilitate all the data that is required to be carried for mobile superfast broadband.

“This enables customers to continue to be able to use their handheld devices for the purposes in which they have become accustomed, and now rely on in the modern world we live in, a similar scenario to the reliance on gas and electricity.

“However, this new technology and the design of the antennas required for 5G means that the existing column is not able to support this new technology and therefore a new slightly bigger column is required.”

The applicants say they have “carefully considered” the design of the new proposed column - which overlooks the cycle path - and six antennas need to be installed at the top of the slim-line monopole.

They add: “The new antennas are all unshrouded for technical reasons.

“However, they have been designed to be as tight as possible and virtually the same width as the main column, to minimise their visual appearance.”

The city council approved the application last month.

A decision notice says: “The proposal would see the replacement of an existing mast and whilst slightly taller, it is not considered to detract from the character and appearance of the locality.

“Given the separation distance from neighbouring properties and its nature, the proposal would not result in any overbearing, overshadowing, loss of privacy or overlooking harmful to the living conditions of nearby property occupiers.”

Last month, plans to erect a towering 5G mast standing almost 70ft tall were rejected following an outcry from residents.

Mobile network Three had hoped to build the imposing structure near houses in New Dover Road, Canterbury, to boost phone coverage.

But the plan sparked a widespread backlash with many residents fearing the structure would spoil historic views of Canterbury Cathedral's World Heritage Site, along one of the key routes into the city.