World-News

PETER WALSH
15 March 2007 12:16

A telecommunications giant has announced controversial plans to install a mobile phone mast close to homes - and within a mile of three schools.

O2 has submitted plans for a 12.5 metre mast mock telegraph pole near to Earlham Road police station, but also within half-a-mile of Heigham Park First School, St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School and within a mile of Earlham High School.

Today, Alan Shawcross, deputy head of Earlham High School, said he was very concerned that a mast should be proposed so close to local schools.

"Anything that might affect the development of a child or younger children feeding into our school we would have a concern about - there are concerns around mobile phone masts which haven't been resolved and need further research," he said.

Mr Shawcross said any decision about objecting to the plans for the mast, which is to be a mock telegraph pole shrouded in its wood cladding, would be for the governors.

The Evening News is campaigning against the installation of mobile phone masts near homes and schools until it is proved they are safe.

In January 2005, Sir William Stewart, chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board, published an independent report calling for a precautionary approach to masts near homes and schools.

But an Evening News investigation the same month revealed one in five primary schools in Norwich and its suburbs was within the threshold which experts claim could put youngsters at risk.

Plans by O2 for a mast on Earlham Road close to the police station follows a similar application by the company which was thrown out by the city council's planning committee in January.

City planners went against the recommendations of officers to approve proposals by O2 for a 12.5m mock telegraph mast next to the police station and said it would be an eyesore,

More than 40 people had raised concerns about the plans and planning committee members received 11 letters of objection citing visual impact and health fears.

Police officers at the nearby station also said that although the mast would not interfere with its main Airwave communication system, it might have caused "localised blocking" of police mobile phones and blackberries.

Rupert Read, a Green city councillor for Wensum ward, said: "It seems fishy that O2 are putting in such a similar planning application again after the one they had before was rejected. I think it's clear that people in the area don't want a mast there. Itan unwelcome intrusion on the local landscape and creates potential health concerns."

In places like the United States and Germany mobile masts cannot be built within 500 metres of homes and schools.

Are you opposing a mobile phone mast in your area? Call Evening Peter Walsh on 01603 772439 or email peter.walsh @archant.co.uk

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Planning permission has been refused for the siting of a mobile phone mast near to Warners End Community Centre.

Councillors gave the thumbs down after hearing that a playgroup used the centre and there were already two other masts close by.

Ward councillor Margaret Coxage told a meeting of Dacorum Borough Council's development control committee: "We have very young children there and I believe it inappropriate that a mast is placed here."

Councillor Derek Townsend said: "I think we should say this is far too close to young children and they should look for a new site."

The meeting was told health concerns were not valid planning grounds for refusal and it was agreed the mast be rejected because of its effect on the street scene.

Last Updated: 14 March 2007

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By Andrew Ffrench

Residents in North Oxford are protesting against plans for a mobile telephone mast near the entrance to a recreation ground.

T-Mobile has notified Oxford City Council that it plans to erect the 30ft high mast outside the Five Mile Drive playing fields, in Cutteslowe.

Five Mile Drive residents are protesting against the plans and have notified the Summertown Stars football club, which uses the ground.

Residents held a meeting on Monday to discuss the best way to protest against the mast, and have been told to make their objections known to the council by March 25.

Dominique Barrett and husband Chris, of Five Mile Drive, said at least 30 residents were opposed to the plan and the number was growing.

Mrs Barrett said: "The mast will be right by the gate that leads into the recreation ground and I don't think it should be so close to a children's play area.

"There's no proof that there are health risks associated with mobile phone masts, but there's no proof otherwise at the moment.

"There are other sites the company could choose. I don't think it's right to have the mast so near where children play football and so close to people's homes."

Mr Barrett added: "There's a lovely line of cherry trees along Five Mile Drive - Japanese tourists come and photograph them when they are in bloom - and this mast, which will have an ugly box of tricks at its base, will not be in keeping with the style of the road."

Alan Glanville, 64, who lives opposite the mast site, added: "It would look completely out of place in this tree-lined street.

"I have got seven grandchildren who come here and we would rather not have the mast so close to our house."

Mobile phone companies have permitted development rights to erect phone masts below 50ft in height, which means they do not need planning permission.

T-Mobile planning consultant Richard Nash told the city council that the mast was needed to improve 3G mobile phone coverage.

He added that the company planned to paint the mast and cabinet green "in order to further reduce their limited impact".

Last July, the council passed a motion that phone companies should warn people about their proposals, regardless of whether planning permission was needed.

The vote came after protests brought a halt to proposals to build masts at the Marlborough House pub, in Grandpont, and the Chester Arms, off Iffley Road.

T-Mobile agreed to review its plans and put the installations on hold after hundreds of people turned out at public meetings to oppose masts being put on the pubs.

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PAS DE CALAIS, FRANCE

SFR suspends a cell tower. At the request of families worried, the operator decided Tuesday to suspend one of its cells towers located close to a school of Pas-de-Calais.

SFR decided Tuesday November 29 to suspend one of its cells towers located in Pas-de-Calais, close of the school of fearing Ruitz on the request of the families of the health risks of their children.A decision justified like a "preoccupation with an appeasing", "to continue the dialogue with the town hall and to find a solution to restore the normal operation of the mobile service of telephony on the commune".

The operator however recalled in an official statement that "the medical authorities, both in France and abroad, dismiss the assumption of risks for pubic health living near a cell tower".The mayor PS of the commune, Jacques Brévart, had taken a decree claiming the desactivation of the tower and a petition with some 200 signatures had been deposited Monday in sub-prefecture to claim its dismantling.

With the origin of the concern of the citizens of Ruitz, recent advertisement that a six year old young girl provided education for in the Jacques-Prévert school was reached of a brain tumour. Last year, another small four year old girl, also in class in this school, had died of the same evil.

Source: Next up organisation


Informant: Martin Weatherall

By jonathan moyes

THE council has now admitted it was late in responding to a request to erect a mobile phone mast.

O2 wanted to put up the 15 metre mast in Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, and the council had 56 days to approve or reject the application. It decided to reject it. But at a public meeting it emerged that it was four days late in notifying O2, despite previously denying any delay. A council officer admitted the council had made a mistake when he was speaking at a Walthamstow and Lea Bridge Community Council meeting.

He said: "The application was sent back and received four days after the deadline and by that time it was late.

"This means O2 is allowed to put up the mast. We are trying to talk to O2 to see if there is a possibility of its being removed or replaced." A resident claimed he had been disturbed by work at 4am by n workmen.Cllr Keith Rayner said: "Is anybody else thinking this is a noise nuisance case? I will meet with councillors again and we will set up what legal proceedings we will need and will work to resolve this within three or four weeks."

Cllr Afzal Akram said the issue needed to be discussed by the council's cabinet. Residents are pressing for an injunction because they fear the mast will be working by the end of the month, claimed mobile phone mast campaigner, Trevor Calver, of Larkshall Road, Highams Park.

An O2 spokesman said there were no plans to remove the mast.

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By Jo Lafferty

A MOBILE phone mast could be built on top of a Redditch office block if plans are given permission.

Orange has applied to Redditch Council to put four pole mounted antenna and two 0.6m dishes on the roof of Grosvenor House, Prospect Hill.

Several businesses are based in the building and some people who work inside are worried the mast could put their health at risk.
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Craig Lippett, an artist at the Redditch Advertiser, which is based on the fifth floor, said: "I wouldn't want to work with a mobile phone mast above my head."

Gill Cook, the paper's advertising manager, said: "If there's a health risk, I'm not happy. In the scheme of things I'd prefer not to have it here."

Nick Jones, managing director of Grosvenor Health on the third floor, disagreed.

He said the plan was a good idea and there was absolutely no evidence of masts damaging health.

"We've been using them for 20 years and there's no evidence," he added.

An Orange spokesman said the Grosvenor House site was a replacement for a site at NEW College destroyed in a fire where the agreement was not renewed after re-building.

"Our first priority is to make sure existing customers maintain the coverage they get at the moment," she added.

"Our mobile phone base stations operate within international guidelines and guidance from central Government. We feel mobile phone base stations are safe and won't be a risk to any member of the general public."

Omega read "Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not present a Health Risk?" under: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/


She said a World Health Organisation fact sheet of May 2006 expressly states there is no known risk from any emmisions from mobile phone base stations.

Omega this is not true. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
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http://www.buergerwelle.de/science.html and
"Competing interests, conflicts of interest: Who's funding WHO?"under: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3347390/

The closing date for the public to respond to the plans is March 27.

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CAMPAIGNERS against a mobile phone mast have lost their battle against it being sited next to a medical centre.

Planning Inspector Peter Marshall granted Hutchison 3G permission to put a 12 metre high mobile mast, on a public footway in Dittons Road, Stone Cross.

This is despite a petition signed by hundreds of villagers — and the decision goes against the wishes of councillors who voted against it.

David Picton, who organised the petition signed by more than 700 people, said, ''I'm deeply disappointed by this decision.

''The people of Stone Cross have shown their feelings against this mast by signing this petition, yet have no say.

''Our elected representatives, the voice of the people, said 'no' to the mast and their decision is over turned.

''There are no proven health risks against masts but there is also no proof they are safe.

''To place this mast so close to both a medical centre and a number of education establishments for young people defies belief.

''We put a good case against the mast yet we are now forced to put up with it.

''With yet another application having been submitted to the district council for a mast on Lion Hill, it could end up there are three of them within 100 yards of one another.''

A spokeswoman for Westham Parish Council said, ''The parish council strongly opposed the mast and is therefore extremely disappointed to hear the appeal was successful.

''It would however like to take this opportunity to thank Wealden for all its help and support.''

Concerns by anti-mast campaigners centred on the mast's position next to Stone Cross Medical Centre and its proximity to the village's memorial hall, where a pre-school meets, and Stone Cross Primary School.

Mr Marshall, who heard the appeal last week, stated in his decision notice, ''I conclude on the main issue that concerns a risk to public health and interference with electrical government at the surgery are not grounds on which the appeal should be dismissed.

''Added weight is given to my view that the appeal should be allowed by the need for the proposed development and the details of the appellant's site search.

''There would be no conflict with those policies of the development plan.''

The decision as to whether Hutchison 3G will be awarded costs is yet to be made by Mr Marshall.

13 March 2007

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