Treaty hope in phone mast row
DOMINIC CHESSUM
13 October 2006 08:59
Angry homeowners are hoping a clause from the Maastricht Treaty could help them in their fight to stop a mobile phone mast being built near their homes.
Families living close to the site of the proposed 14-metre high mast, at the corner of South Park Avenue and Parmenter Road, say they will fight all the way to stop the application by mobile phone operator 3 from succeeding.
A petition has already been signed by more than 260 people and now in a new twist, Kevin Moore, who is spearheading the campaign, has written to the council citing the 1993 treaty which says when it comes to a potentially hazardous situation bodies should err on the side of caution and protect the public. He believes there is no evidence that phone masts do not pose a risk to human health and this means a mast should not be put up in this location.
Mr Moore, 56, who lives with his family in South Park Avenue, said: “We are fighting this on planning grounds first and secondly on health grounds. The main thing we are fighting against is that this is visually intrusive. But at the pre-application stage they rejected one at the corner of Buckingham Road and South Park Avenue on the basis it was too close to the school. Now they want to put it next to a park where hundreds of children go through the park gates. They did not want to put it near a school. Why, if it is not damaging to health? They cannot rule out health risks and according to the Maastricht Treaty they should err on the side of caution.” Mr Moore added there was a precedent for rejecting an application on health grounds when Vale Royal Borough Council in Cheshire rejected an application for a mast on top of a water tower in 2003, although this decision was overturned on appeal.
William Comery from Ericsson Services, which submitted the application on behalf of 3, said: “The World Health Organisation says there is no evidence of long-term or short-term effects on health from masts. We try and place masts in the least intrusive areas, but the hole in coverage is small and so we are restricted as to where we can site the mast.”
Are you worried about a mobile phone mast application in your area. Contact Dominic Chessum on 01603 772428 or e-mail dominic.chessum@archant.co.uk
Copyright © 2006 Archant Regional. All rights reserved.
http://tinyurl.com/ynd4my
13 October 2006 08:59
Angry homeowners are hoping a clause from the Maastricht Treaty could help them in their fight to stop a mobile phone mast being built near their homes.
Families living close to the site of the proposed 14-metre high mast, at the corner of South Park Avenue and Parmenter Road, say they will fight all the way to stop the application by mobile phone operator 3 from succeeding.
A petition has already been signed by more than 260 people and now in a new twist, Kevin Moore, who is spearheading the campaign, has written to the council citing the 1993 treaty which says when it comes to a potentially hazardous situation bodies should err on the side of caution and protect the public. He believes there is no evidence that phone masts do not pose a risk to human health and this means a mast should not be put up in this location.
Mr Moore, 56, who lives with his family in South Park Avenue, said: “We are fighting this on planning grounds first and secondly on health grounds. The main thing we are fighting against is that this is visually intrusive. But at the pre-application stage they rejected one at the corner of Buckingham Road and South Park Avenue on the basis it was too close to the school. Now they want to put it next to a park where hundreds of children go through the park gates. They did not want to put it near a school. Why, if it is not damaging to health? They cannot rule out health risks and according to the Maastricht Treaty they should err on the side of caution.” Mr Moore added there was a precedent for rejecting an application on health grounds when Vale Royal Borough Council in Cheshire rejected an application for a mast on top of a water tower in 2003, although this decision was overturned on appeal.
William Comery from Ericsson Services, which submitted the application on behalf of 3, said: “The World Health Organisation says there is no evidence of long-term or short-term effects on health from masts. We try and place masts in the least intrusive areas, but the hole in coverage is small and so we are restricted as to where we can site the mast.”
Are you worried about a mobile phone mast application in your area. Contact Dominic Chessum on 01603 772428 or e-mail dominic.chessum@archant.co.uk
Copyright © 2006 Archant Regional. All rights reserved.
http://tinyurl.com/ynd4my
rudkla - 13. Okt, 09:16
