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Residents have been urged to have their say over controversial plans for a phone mast near Oswestry. Mobile phone giant Orange wants to build the mast at Aston Moor, West Felton.

The company had originally erected a mast at New House Farm, near The Avenue, West Felton.

However, Oswestry Borough Council issued an enforcement notice to halt further work there as planning officers believed it was not being built in accordance with development rights.

Residents then formed the West Felton Mast Protest Group to campaign for the mast to be removed from near their homes amid fears of health risks and it being an eyesore.

Now Orange has applied to build another mast at Aston Moor and people met last night for an update on the new scheme.

Councillor Aggie Caesar-Homden, member for Ruyton and West Felton, said the meeting was to check everyone has been consulted on the proposals for the new site and, if they wanted to, write to Oswestry Borough Council with their views and opinions.

Carol Corbett, protest group spokeswoman, said: “The application went in on December 6 and members of the protest group have responded.

“I asked the council to check roll-out plans to ensure we are not going to be stuck with four or five other operators there as well and about the frequency they will operate on. The things we objected to at New House Farm, we can’t object to at Aston Moor. At 15.1m, Orange has got to get planning permission.”

The application will go before Oswestry Borough Council’s development control committee meeting on January 23.

© 2007 - all rights reserved

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/01/chance-for-say-on-mast-plans/

Jan 4 2007

By Glenn Pearson
glennpearson @trinitysouth.co.uk

ANGRY residents say their Christmas was ruined because an 80ft mobile phone mast has been interfering with their televisions.

The mast was erected in Godstone Road, Whyteleafe,in October 2005 and has been a bone of contention for residents ever since.

It was originally operated by O2 and during that time residents suffered problems with their TV sets.

After months of complaints the company diverted its signals from the mast and homeowners' TV picture quality was restored again in the Godstone Road area.

But in October last year the mast was taken over by mobile phone company Orange. The problem has now resurfaced, with some households finding that they get no TV reception at all.

Lin Betmead says she has had enough and that it is "unfair" that she and other residents are forced to pay £131.50 for a TV licence when they cannot get a picture.

She said: "Why should I have to pay so much for a television licence when I get a bad picture downstairs and not one at all upstairs?

"I am really fed up with this. O2 diverted the signal for us after admitting that it had caused a problem, but Orange will not return any of my calls.

"I wanted it done before Christmas so I rang two or three times a day from December 6, but Orange has still not got back to me.

"It has made me very angry.It is not fair and Orange does not give a damn."

Miss Betmead said that over the Christmas period she was unable to watch any programmes on one of her sets and the picture quality on the other has been greatly reduced.

She also complained that many people in her road have decided to sign up for Sky television because they are able to get a reception.

She said: "I do not want Sky television and I also cannot afford it.

"I am happy with what I have got now so why should I be forced into getting something that I don't want? I was looking forward to watching programmes at Christmas but I couldn't."

Joan Newman, 82, also of Godstone Road, can see the towering mast from her house.

She said: "We get horizontal lines going across the screen and a snowy background, which is a real problem because it makes it hard to watch for any length of time.

"It is also not very good for the eyes so I have to keep getting up and going for a walk before going back to it.

"It made me not want to watch programmes over Christmas, which is what I really like to do.

"It seems to have been even worse over Christmas because more people have been using their mobile phones."

A spokesman for Orange said the mast based just off Church Road is not in operation at the moment but work is being carried out for its future use.

She said: "The mast on Church Road is not switched on and is not yet live.

"We are progressing with it but it is still a long way off being used as the equipment is still being installed."

© owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror Southern Limited 2007

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Most people can't survive without their mobiles, but many aren't so keen on the masts which support the technology. JANAKI MAHADEVAN looks at community concerns over their siting

There are more phones than people in the UK, according to the Mobile Data Association. But not everyone is happy about having the technology on their doorstep, judging by the response to a recent planning application by Orange to erect a phone mast in Furzehill Road, Borehamwood.

The plan met with strong opposition from residents and was rejected at a council meeting on December 19. Council officers stressed their decision to recommend refusal of planning permission was based on the appearance of the mast and the impact on trees.

Nevertheless, the volume of letters and petitions submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council showed that much of the opposition from the public was down to fears over health risks.

Although there have been many studies into the effects of mobile phone masts, a definitive answer has still not been produced over the possible health implications.

First published in 2000, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) report, chaired by Sir William Stewart, found that the risk of falling ill as a result of exposure to masts was low. But it also stated: "We recommend that a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phone technologies be adopted until much more detailed and scientifically robust information on any health effects becomes available."

The report, as part of its cautionary advice, suggested that base stations should not be placed near schools because children may be more vulnerable to any adverse affects of radiation.

Penny Swallow, 54 who lives in Howard Drive, Borehamwood, wrote to the chief executive of Orange objecting to the planned site for the mast.

She said: "The fundamental problem lies with planning regulations which were designed to kick-start the telecommunications industry 20 years ago, but which now only serve to override genuine local, environmental and safety concerns about where best to place phone masts.

"The council has very little discretion over the location of phone masts, and national planning diktats, issued from Whitehall, explicitly prevent the council's planning committee from taking health concerns into account.

"The end result is a feeling of powerlessness and frustration among our community, living under the threat of unwanted and badly located masts such as the one suggested for Borehamwood."

Planning officer Chris Lewcock said: "In one sense the Government has put a duty on us to assist the companies and to try and accomodate them.

"We have been quite lucky so far in Borehamwood with having big buildings to put masts on. But as the demand increases the operators are having to search for new sites.

"On health grounds local authorities are obliged by the Government to accept certification from the operators that they meet the requirements of the relevant national and international authorities. It is not our job to certify that.

"People are accepting the risks by using the phones themselves, which pose a much larger risk than the masts."

With the growth of new mobile technologies such as the 3G networks which allow users to download from their phone, have instant messaging and email exchange, it is inevitable that more technology will be needed in residential areas to support these services.

A spokeswoman for Orange said: "People are using their mobile phones for much more than voice calls and due to the low power of these masts, the infrastructure has to be placed where people are actually using the services.

"Orange complies fully with all regulations and, in fact, operates at hundreds of times below the set guidelines. People should not worry about living or working near this mast; they are safe and you can walk right up to them. We have to appreciate that in order to use mobile phone services, there is a network that needs to be in place to support those demands.

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"The current proposal did fail and Orange has not yet decided whether or not to appeal this decision. We will hopefully make a decision in the next few months."

Anxieties about health and visual impact are unlikely to be calmed.

Borehamwood councillor Frank Ward said: "We are here to protect the community not to comply with the edicts of Government.

"I accept that we all use mobile phones and that technology demands response.

"We have to accept that we have a part to play in the increasing technology. But as long as there is a modicum of risk I will not support the siting of this technology in a populated area."

© Copyright 2001-2007 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/features/newsfeatures/display.var.1104507.0.phones_good_masts_bad.php

PLANNERS are scheduled to visit a site tomorrow (Friday) to decide if a mobile phone mast can be built near a special school.

Telecoms firm, O2, wants to install the 10-metre structure at Andover Road in Winchester.

Its preferred site is a section of pavement near the railway bridge and around 75 yards south of the Jolly Farmer pub.

The company submitted an application to Winchester City Council in September.

It prompted eight letters of objection from residents near the site. They argued that the mast would be ugly and might pose possible health risks.

Neighbours also pointed out that the mast would be less than 100 yards away from Osborne School, which caters for around 170 children with special needs.

Council highways experts also raised concerns about potential problems with repairing the mast.

They argued that maintenance engineers would take up most of the pavement, and force pedestrians to walk in the road.

With these concerns in mind, planning officers advised members to throw out the scheme.

Councillors were due to inspect the site in November, but O2 withdrew its application a couple of days before their meeting was due to occur.

A few days later, it submitted new plans to build a slightly thinner mast further back from the road.

Residents objected once again, with another four letters landing on the council's doormat.

However, on this occasion, the authority's highways experts stated that the plans were now acceptable.

Planning officers also backed the scheme, arguing that the mast would not be a visual intrusion.

They added that O2 had investigated if the structure could be built elsewhere, but no other alternative sites were available.

A planning sub-committee of around half a dozen councillors is now due to make the final ruling.

They are expected to reach a decision following their inspection of the site tomorrow morning.

© Copyright 2001-2007 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/hampshirenews/display.var.1101236.0.fresh_bid_to_put_up_mast.php

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From ufpj-news

Dec 29 2006

Chester Chronicle

A MOBILE phone giant is to lower Chester's highest mast by five metres after admitting a planning bungle.

T-Mobile's mast at Tile Farm, Guilden Sutton, was dubbed Blackpool Tower by angry residents when it was erected earlier this year.

A series of blunders further angered people in Littleton, who were not consulted when the proposal came before planners.

They later highlighted an error in drawings put before the Planning Board which showed the mast as 37.5m with the trees standing at 35m. City council measurements revealed the trees were 10m shorter leaving the mast towering over neighbouring houses.

This week, T-Mobile spokesman Richard Owens said: 'There was some genuine confusion over the tree height in the planning stage and we're happy to make a goodwill gesture on a one off basis.'

But he admitted the mast will still be visible to ensure continued coverage.

Mr Owens added: 'This doesn't entirely please everyone but is a deal which accommodates the resident's views without compromising coverage.'

Huw Morgan, of Tarvin Road, is in the process of discussing the compromise with other members of Littleton Mast Action Group.

He said: 'We're disappointed at this small reduction. Now we might push for an enquiry into how this mast came into being without the residents being advised.

'We may even continue our fight for it to be relocated.'

David Taylor, clerk of Littleton Parish Council, said: 'A great deal of pressure has been brought to bear on a number of levels on T-Mobile and we are all very pleased with this kind of result.'

City Councillor Brian Bailey said: 'I think this may be the first time a mobile company has agreed to reduce the height of its masts. We're now trying to settle the details with surveyors.'

© owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited 2006

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