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Furious Midland residents said their lives had been 'ruined' after a 100ft mobile phone mast was put up at the end of their gardens and left looming over their homes. People living on Hurcott Road in Kidderminster said the enormous 5G mast - said to be temporary - was 'driving them insane' due to a constant humming noise they could hear inside their homes around the clock. They also claimed they could be injured or even killed if the giant mast toppled over during strong winds. READ MORE: Villa Park arrests latest as man accused of trying to throw firework into ground The structure and generator sits just 6ft from their garden boundaries and is secured by concrete blocks and chains. Resident Steve Taylor has moved out of his property because of the situation and is staying at his partner's house. The 58-year-old marketing executive said: "I wasn't expecting a near-100-foot 5G tower six foot from my garden. It's a huge issue. I can't fathom how someone would think that it acceptable to build a mast so close to a property. "It's 2ft from my boundary fence. The tower is about 6ft from my boundary. "I'm not stopping there at night, I'm stopping at my partners in Droitwich. I tried to stay there but it rocks in the night, you can see it moving. "The height of it, it would reach the house if it gave way in strong winds. It would kill me if I was asleep. It's driven me out of my home. You try to reason it out of your head but when you see it, you can't." Mobile Broadband Network Ltd installed the mast in May to replace a smaller device on a nearby roof. Community Housing, which owns the site, issued MBNL a lease for the unit until September 1, 2026. Steve added: "There's a generator there and it's like white noise. It's humming away all the time. It's ruined our outdoor environment, there are fumes too as it's an outdoor generator. I could smell fumes in the shed coming from there. It's horrible. "We've been asking for a meeting with Community Housing but they don't want to meet us face-to-face. It's made our outdoor space totally unusable - who is going to sit in their garden in the summer next to a 100 foot mast? It's ruined my life." Jackie Hardwick has lived on the street for 28 years and said the humming noise was driving homeowners 'insane'. The 68-year-old retired caterer said: "We knew when they came up with the planning to build the houses behind us that they would put a mast there. "But we thought it was going to be a third of the size and smaller. We got a letter on a Friday, and they were here on the Monday putting it up. It was up about May, it took them four to six weeks to put it up. ""Steve has had to move to his partner's house because he's freaked out by it. Two other neighbours get humming in their homes. We get humming in our garden which is quite disturbing. It drives you insane." Reform councillor Mark Crosby, from Worcestershire County Council, who is helping the residents, said: "You have to see it to believe it. A couple of residents were on holiday and came back to it literally at the end of their gardens. "Two houses are for sale and one had a viewing - the person walked in saw the tower and walked straight out. It's affecting people's lives. A spokesperson for Community Housing said: "We fully understand the residents' concerns, and will continue to communicate with the Telecoms Operators and their agent, MBNL, to achieve having the temporary mast removed as soon as possible. "We are optimistic that by collaborating with the district council's planning team, the telecoms operators will be able to identify and secure approval for a suitable permanent site promptly. A representative for MBNL said: "The temporary telecommunications mast is maintaining essential mobile coverage for residents, businesses, and the emergency services in Kidderminster – following the removal of the site on top of Coniston House, ahead of the building's demolition by Community Housing. "With the support of Coun Crosby, we are working with the local authority and urging them to support our planning application to build a new permanent mast nearby as soon as possible. ""We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank the residents on Hurcott Road for their patience and understanding." A spokesperson for Wyre Forest District Council said: "The communications tower was installed under permitted development rights and did not need planning permission. "These rules – set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) – allow telecoms companies to install temporary equipment in emergencies for up to 18 months to keep communication services running. ".
