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Eileen O'Connor


Council earns a fortune from phone masts
Dec 7 2006

By Adrian Goldberg And Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM City Council is raking in more than half a million pounds a year in rent from controversial mobile phone masts.

The figure, the largest declared by any local authority in the country, is generated by 101 masts on council-owned buildings and land.

The city's total of £590,000 dwarfs its nearest rival Leeds, which receives £410,000.

The news will incense campaigners who believe that radiation from the masts causes cancer.

Birmingham had a year-long moratorium on new masts which was lifted in 2005.

But Birmingham still picks up more than Sandwell (£119,750), Wolverhampton (£112,425), Coventry (£44,429) and Dudley (£98,300) put together. Deputy Leader Coun Paul Tilsley said: "A figure like £590,000 for telephone masts might seem large, but many of those will be on schools who make their own management decisions and keep the income.

"Birmingham is also the largest authority in the UK by far and owns more property, so you would expect the figure to be proportionately higher."

In the past 12 months the total for Birmingham has fallen from 134 in 2004 following the moratorium, widespread health fears and a council inquiry into the issue.

Not every council is willing to state its income.

Manchester, for example, won't say how much it gets from the mobile phone companies, and neither will Solihull or Walsall.

Some major local authorities take much less in mast rental than Birmingham - Liverpool gets just £27,000.

Date : 08.12.06

Angry residents have stepped up their campaign against plans to erect a second mobile phone mast in their road as a formal application is submitted to the city’s planning office.

Whitehouse Common Road resident, John De Mascio, is spearheading the drive.

"We have seen a good reaction from local people but still not as much as I would like," he said.

He now plans to drum up more support by knocking on doors and asking people to sign a petition against the mast which is planned for the junction with Rectory Road.

Retired local physicist, Dr John Walker, says there is now enough evidence to be sure of the risks.

"People who don't sign this petition are signing their own death warrants," he said.

"The Government will not fund any research into the health risks so it all has to be done voluntarily.

"But research carried out all over the world shows the effects of radiation from the masts lead to a depleted immune system, which can cause behavioural problems, depression, anxiety, cognitive and memory troubles and eventually cancer and leukaemia."

He added: "Just because it is a slow effect doesn't mean there is no effect and we are doing our future generations no favours especially when masts are put so close to schools."

Mr De Mascio called the proposals 'a disgrace'.

"There is already one mast there on the other side of the road and we have been told this one will be a 3G mast which is very strong."

He added: "It will be used to provide the emergency services with information but also for the ordinary man in the street."

Sutton Trinity Ward Councillor, David Pears is backing the residents in their campaign.

"I have written to the Council to show my opposition," he said.

"It is a horrible thing which will make the junction with Rectory Road more dangerous.

"It will also be out of character with the area - it is another hideous thing we don't want in that location.

He added: "Whilst the government won't admit it, the health implications are important, there is even a notice there warning people of the emissions.

"It is not just by chance these cancer clusters have occurred.

"The mast has got to be in the right place and this is not the right place for it."

Residents have until December 15 to express their views to the Council's planning department.

For more news, visit http://www.suttonobserver.co.uk


Informant: Eileen O'Connor



http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Dr+John+Walker

Israël : Residents destroyed celullar antennas
http://www.next-up.org/pages/NewsoftheWorld106israel.php

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The neighbours did a "lynch" to cellular antennas

By Shimon Afargan
Maariv

10.12.06

The residents of a building on Barlev 4 street in Beer Sheva, took in the weekend a very unusual step in order to protest against the cellular antennas on the roof of the penthouse in the building where they live. The broke into the penthouse, destroyed the antennas and caused to the equipment damage of tens of thousands of dollars. Several months ago, the residents of the building were amazed to find out that the roof on the 8th floor was rented for $1200 a month to Cellcom, that erected there 3 cellular antennas inside the flower-pots. The people asked Cellcom to remove the antennas immediately, because they are a real danger for them and their children. Several weeks ago, dozens of the building's residents, among them many children, started suffering from strong headaches. "I took my little boy, who suffered of strong headaches, to an expert physician, and he was interested to know whether we had cellular antennas on the roof", told one of the residents, "I said that yes, and he said that this was probably the reason for the headaches".

Another resident told "Maariv" that the neighbours asked Cellcom and the municipality to remove the antennas, but were rejected with excuses, "When we saw that it didn't help, we decided to take steps in order to remove the antennas from the building" he told.

After all their efforts to remove the antennas had failed, dozens of the building residents decided to take the law into their hands. In the night between Thursday and Friday, they broke into the penthouse. They destroyed the place, broke the antennas and caused damage to the expensive technological equipment that was there, also the equipment that was inside the penthouse.


When Cellcom learnt about this, a security officer was called into the place, 2 security guards and an amstaf dog. When the residents threatened to cause them damage if they didn't leave the place, Beer Shevas' police was called to the place too, the policemen calmed them down after a long time. The policemen from Beer Sheva police station negotiated between the residents and Cellcom, and they reached a temporary solution- the equipment will not be operated until they reach to an agreement.

"We had no other choice, it is not possible that for greed the residents will get cancer because of the dangerous radiation that the antennas emit. If Cellcom does not remove the antennas, we will destroy the penthouse and the rest of the infrastructure that is left in the place. This is probably the only language they understand. Antennas on roofs are mortal danger" clarified one of the residents.

The Cellular Companies Forum said in response: "The installations were erected with approval and permission. We see very seriosly the damage to the antennas and infrastructure".



Two of the residents who destroyed the antennas were interviewed to two channels on TV today's morning, each one to different programme. They told:

* They went to the environmental ministry and were ignored, the same with the municipality.

* the antennas are there for two years

* after a 1+ years many men in the area became impotent, and got fertility problems.

* the child with the doctor story - the doctor heard many complaints on headaches from people in the area

* the child got also testicles problem, and the doctor said these problems will also hurt the next generation of the people who developed them.

* all these problems started 3/4 year ago, after 1+ year since the antennas were erected there.

* during the last half a year, the children have had headaches and nausea, also the adults have them, but especially the children.


Informant: Iris Atzmon

A CLERGYMAN wants to let a mobile phone company erect a cross- shaped mast on the roof of his church.

The existing cross would be taken down to make way for the speciallybuilt transmitter.

In return, communications company Hutchison, which runs the Three network, will make a donation to the Peter Lee Memorial Methodist Church in Peterlee, County Durham.

The scheme has been greeted with horror by some local people, but minister Todd Gile called it 'a winwin situation'.

He said: 'The church is in the business of worshipping God and making disciples and this is a legitimate fundraiser to support the ministry.

'I believe everything we do is designed to facilitate the gospel and this is just a use of our facilities, like renting out our rooms for the community.

'As long as it does not detract from the rest of the church and is not immoral, then it is kind of a win-win situation.' But local councillor Ted Hall said the plan would turn the church into a commercial enterprise.

'It is totally repugnant to me and creates a precedent for the rest of the churches in the area,' he said.

'The symbol of the cross should remind people to speak to the Lord rather than to phone their mother.' Mr Gile, an American who moved to Peterlee from Indiana with his wife a year ago, confirmed that church authorities had given the plan the go-ahead.

He said the money would be used for the upkeep of the building and added: 'It won't be an eyesore and will look just like the existing cross.

'John Wesley, the father of the Methodist church, always said, "Make all you can, save all you can and spend all you can for the cause of the gospel".'

Hutchison corporate affairs manager Mike Alexander said the comareaspany is looking to apply for planning permission by the end of the month and wants to hear the views of local people.

He said lots of operators have used church buildings to house their equipment because third-generation, or 3G, phone technology needs to be quite near to residential 'We recognise there is a balance-between that and the environmental impact, so churches are a good solution.' The church is around 50 years old and was one of the first to be built in the new town, which was named after Peter Lee, a local miners' leader and prominent Methodist who died in 1935.

Advances in technology have seen phone masts shrink from around 90ft to 25ft greatly increasing the places where they can be hidden.

There is one on a floodlight at Griffin Park, the West London home of Brentford football club.

The spire of St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol contains four Vodafone masts and a mast disguised as a tree overlooks an estate in Baxenden, Lancashire. Other masts have been hidden in chimneys, lampposts and flagpoles.

(c) 2006 Daily Mail; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Source: Daily Mail; London (UK)

© 2002-2006 redOrbit.com. All rights reserved

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/761211/minister_wants_to_turn_churchs_cross_into_a_mobile_phone/index.html?source=r_technology


Informant: Dances Alone

By Tom Stirling

IT'S NOT their fault - that's the verdict of a top lawyer, who has defended Ryedale District Council's handling of a controversial mobile phone mast.

Residents at Sheriff Hutton have threatened legal action after the council said there was nothing it could do to move the Orange mast.

Nigel Giffin QC was called in to look at the council's options.

He concluded the council was not to blame - even though it was its error that prompted the furore.

As revealed in The Press at the time, council bosses failed to submit their written objections to the company within the formal deadline.

Mr Giffin's advice said: "This error has in fact made no difference whatever to the outcome, because there was ultimately no proper basis for refusing prior approval consent in any event.

"Accordingly, whilst it may well be that there are people in Sheriff Hutton who think that the erection of the mast is the result of the council's error, that is not in truth an objectively tenable view of what has happened.

"Rather, the erection of the mast results from the current state of the scientific evidence coupled with the nature of current planning powers and guidance."

Mr Giffin also ruled out spending public money to move the mast.

He said: "It is hard to see that it can be right to expend a substantial sum of public money in order to restore public confidence in the council, when the council is not in fact the author of the problem."

He added: "If the mast remains where it is, the council is entitled to say that it is because it had no power to bring about a different result, and not because it did not use some power which it did have."

John Botting, a prominent anti-mast campaigner at Sheriff Hutton, said: "I can understand where Mr Giffin is coming from, but this means we are totally disenfranchised. If we accept this advice, whenever a phone company wants to put a mast up, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.

"Are we going to have Sheriff Hutton repeated across North Yorkshire?"

Senior councillor Robert Wainwright said: "The council has left no stone unturned to try to resolve this long-running issue.

"The views of local people have been listened to and we will continue to work with Ryedale residents to ensure that such a situation does not happen again by amended internal procedures and systems."

© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/yorknews/display.var.1066229.0.no_blame_for_mast_blunder.php

Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 8 December 2006

HUNDREDS of residents are being urged to oppose plans for a 50-foot mobile phone mast in Archway on the grounds that it is “unsightly” and a potential health hazard.

Hutchison 3G is planning to site the mast on Network Rail land at the corner of Station Road and Junction Road, less than 50 feet from the nearest homes and 120 feet from a proposed new Circle Anglia housing development.

The residents, backed by Labour councillor Janet Burgess, are calling on Islington Council to reject plans for the mast.

IT manager Roger O’Kelly, who lives near the mast site, said: “It will look out of place between two trees in an area that has already lost greenery and it’s too close to homes where there are families with children.

“We want to know if the firm has looked at more suitable areas or was this site the only one available?”

Cllr Burgess said: “There’s an awful lot of concern about this planned mast. There’s a new block of social housing going up very near to the site.

“What these residents want is for this scheme to go to planning committee so they can have a fair hearing.”

A spokesman for the firm said: “A planning application has been submitted for the 15-metre mast with a base station. We’ve been looking for a site in this area for 18 months.

“We examined seven options and this was the most suitable in terms of minimising environmental and visual impact. As regards concerns about emissions, we apply government-instigated World Health Organisation guidelines.”

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

• Experts have warned that plans to site 32 mobile phone masts at Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium would make it a high-density area for the devices.

Powerwatch, an independent group which monitors masts, claims there are already almost 100 masts within a two-square-mile radius of the Asburton Grove stadium.

All content © New Journal Enterprises, 2006

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/islington/120806/news120806_09.html

9 December 2006

A VICAR has sparked fury with a plan to ditch the cross on top of his church - for one holding a mobile phone mast.

Rev Todd Gile said the deal with phone giant 3 would bring in vital cash.

He said: "The church is in the business of worshipping God. This is a legitimate fundraiser to support the ministry.

"It won't be an eyesore and will look just like the existing cross."

But some locals in Peterlee, Co Durham, are outraged. Cllr Ted Hall said: "It's totally repugnant. The cross should remind people to speak to the Lord rather than phone their mother."

http://tinyurl.com/y4ry5z

Residents have spoken of their relief that another application to erect a mobile phone mast in their community has been rejected.

Preston Council's planning committee turned down Vodafone's revised application for a 20-metre lattice tower with three antennas.

They had previously refused a bulkier design on the Paddock, at the RSPCA shelter in Ribbleton.

Ribbleton Coun Nick Pomfret, who made a presentation to the committee on the residents' behalf, pointed out there had been a 375-signature petition from locals.

He said he couldn't see much difference between the latest plans and those submitted previously.

He said: "This mast will spoil the view looking over Grange Valley and park, a nationally recognised green space."

Coun Alan Hackett said it wasn't just an open space, but a well-used park area and said that some of the 12 alternative sites considered and not chosen were "red herrings".

The mobile phone giants had originally planned to install the antenna near Ribbleton Library but this, too, was opposed by locals.

The Teeling family, whose house backs on to the proposed site, said they were relieved by the decision and urged locals to be alert for future mast applications.

Mum-of-two Julie called the design a "climbing frame" and said: "We are delighted with the decision, or should we say relieved.

A Vodafone spokesman said: "Because the decision was only made on Monday it's too early to say what we are going to do. We have a right to appeal the decision."

07 December 2006

http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=73&ArticleID=1919588

All rights reserved © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.

By Alex Ali

Janine's niece Jordana Harris holding Janine's daughter Eliana with two other children from Colburn Avenue in front of the mast site

A MOTHER-of-two is "disgusted" that a 15-metre high phone mast at the back of her garden could be made bigger.

Janine Lazarus, of Colburn Avenue, Hatch End, rang Harrow Council to find out when she could attend a planning meeting to object to the proposal but claims she was given the wrong date.

Janine said: "I want people to know about this, it's absolutely disgusting. I think it's very bad that the council aren't giving residents the opportunity to speak about it.

"The phone mast is very big, it is very visible and the views of the farmland have been ruined."

O2 plans to extend the phone mast - just 50 metres from her house - to 17-and-a-half metres high, install satellite dishes on the mast and place three equipment cabinets around it.

But Peter Brown, a spokesman for Harrow Council, said: "We are sorry if there has been some confusion over the date.

"Last month the council changed the process of dealing with planning issues so that it is more streamlined.

"This issue was always due to be discussed at the development management committee on December 13 and not at the strategic planning committee on 6 December, but it may be that Mrs Lazarus was inadvertently given the incorrect date on the phone.

"If that was the case we can only apologise."

Janine, her husband Paul, 13-year-old son Adam and her four-year-old daughter Eliana, can already see the mast fom their back garden.

Janine said: "The Stewart report recommends that phone masts shouldn't be put up so close to houses and it's right by the playing fields used by Grimsdyke First and Middle School too. It's just a saftey hazard because children are at the highest risk from having problems as a result of the radiation from the phone mast because their brains aren't formed properly."

T-mobile will also have joint usage of the mast, which was erected on a green belt site which is on farmland at Pinner Wood Farm.

Jim Stevenson, community relations manager for O2, said: "There has to be at least one metre between our antennas and T-mobile's otherwise they will interfere with each other and that is why there has been such a big increase in height."

Janine added: "When the mast went up two years ago my daughter was only two years old and I took some readings of the levels of radiation in the house and they were high, although a phone company would never admit to it.

"I went to five other houses away from the area to make sure my findings were correct and there weren't any readings."

Cllr Marilyn Ashton, portfolio holder for planning development and enterprise at Harrow Council, said: "We always take people's concern's seriously and we will come to a decision based on all points of view."

© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1060574.0.fury_over_plans_to_extend_mast.php