Landmark 'golf ball' at south Shropshire radar station to be replaced and relocated after plans approved

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has been given the go-ahead to dismantle and replace the larger of two radomes atop Titterstone Clee Hill near Ludlow.

The structures serve as weatherproof enclosures to protect the radar antenna underneath, and have been part of the hill's radar station since the 1970s.

Over the years the golf ball-esque structures have become a south Shropshire landmark in their own right, making the hill instantly recognisable from miles around.

Under the plans which have now been approved by Shropshire Council, the radome with a diameter of 16 metres (52.5ft) will be decommissioned, but the 20-metre-high platform underneath will remain in place, along with the radar tower and existing equipment building.

Another, slightly smaller radome will be built 172 metres away (564 ft), atop existing infrastructure.

The replacement will have a 12.5-metre (41ft) diameter, sat atop a 10.2m (33ft) structure - making the new structure around six metres shorter in total than the existing one.

Determining that the proposal was lawful, Shropshire Council noted that consent would be required from Historic England, prior to work being carried out, due to the hill being a scheduled ancient monument.

The full plans are available to view online on the council's planning portal using reference number 25/03150/CPL.