South London residents are "over the moon" after plans to build a 15-metre-tall 5G mast in their Victorian square were thrown out. They previously raised fears the plans would ruin St Andrew's Square in Surbiton, which has been described as a "little oasis".

Cignal Infrastructure UK Limited applied to install the pole and equipment cabinets outside the square's public garden, on Maple Road, in St Andrew's Square Conservation Area. But Kingston Council refused the application after ruling it would be an "incongruous" addition to the setting. The proposals received 140 objections and nine letters of support.

In a report on the decision, council officers said the telecoms equipment would be "visually intrusive and create visual clutter that would not be in keeping with and detract from the character and appearance of the surrounding area". They added it would "fail to preserve or enhance" the character and appearance of the conservation area.

Helen Ridley, 74, has lived in the square with her husband Alan, 80, for 39 years. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they were "over the moon" at the council's refusal.

In an earlier objection letter to the council, Ms Ridley said she opposed "ruining the square by the installation of this mast". She said: "The proposed pole would be intrusive and stand out like a sore thumb on one of the loveliest roads in the borough. It would be a visual blight 24 hours a day."

She argued the pavement would become "too cluttered" for visitors, including visually-impaired people and those with buggies, as it already has cabinets, tree trunks, a parking meter and cars "always parking along its edge".

Her husband Alan Ridley previously told the LDRS the square was "a little oasis" and its garden was used for a range of activities, including to walk dogs, for exercise, family picnics and festivals. He said the mast would not "preserve the character of the square".

Before the council's decision, the couple's neighbour Brian Crisp also said the mast would have a "tremendous impact" on locals and "wreck the whole sight" of the garden if it went ahead.

The square is one of the last remaining Victorian squares in South West London, according to the council, with a central garden surrounded by original Victorian homes.

In their report, council officers said they were also not satisfied the applicant had "fully considered alternative sites or that the application site represents the least harmful option available in the area to meet the additional coverage and capacity requirements".

The application submitted by Cignal Infrastructure UK Ltd, and refused by the council, was to determine if prior approval was needed for the 5G mast.

On behalf of the application, a Three spokesperson said: "After extensive searches, our planners determined that this site was required to deliver a great network experience for the residents and businesses of Kingston. We are considering the council's reasons for refusal and assessing our next steps."