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15 November 2006

ANTI-mobile phone mast campaigners in Muswell Hill are claiming a plan to build a new mast should not go ahead because it would be illegal.

Mobile operator, O2, is planning to replace an unused mast on top of the old BT Exchange in Grand Avenue with a new one.

The company, along with Haringey Council, claims that because there is already a mast there they do not need to get planning permission for a new one.

But Richard Buxton, a lawyer for Muswell Hill Against the Masts (MHAM), insists the council has got it wrong.

He says the previous mast should have been removed long ago and fresh planning permission sought for a new one. He has written to the planning department.

A spokeswoman for MHAM said: "O2 argues that it is erecting on an existing mast which is unused and therefore does not need planning permission. Protesters say under planning regulations, the old mast should have been removed and that planning permission would therefore be required for a new mast."

The head of MHAM, Sarah Purdey, has also protested to Councillor Gideon Bull, head of the scrutiny review which was looking into the issue, who pledged to take a tough stance on it.

A spokesman for Haringey Council said:

"We have fully complied with planning regulations and government guidance in this case. We will be replying separately to Mr Buxton."

An O2 spokesman said: "There was a mast there before so all we are doing is replacing one with the other. It's no big deal. It's smaller than the previous one.

"I can assure the people there that there is no problem and no danger at all from the mast.

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Mobile phone operator Hutchison 3G has received a hostile reponse to plans to put a new mast at "the gateway" to Kenilworth.

The company hopes to erect a 12.5m aerial capable of transmitting picture and video signals on the grass verge outside the De Montfort Hotel.
It needs the mast to improve reception in the town centre but claims opposition from businesses is the reason for placing sites near pavements and not on top of buildings.

The company considered 29 sites, including outside the Bear and Ragged Staff pub and the Shell garage, both in Warwick Road.

Plans by rival operator O2 for a mast in Abbey End were recently refused planning permission.

And a 13-page consultation document from Hutchison received short shrift from Kenilworth Town Council planning committee on November 9.

Coun Michael Coker said he could not understand why the firm had admitted the mast would look out of place at other sites in the town centre but decided outside the De Montfort Hotel would be acceptable.

He added: "We are hoping to have a civic centre on the other side of the road, we are hoping the De Montfort will renovate itself. This is the last place we want another intrusion."

Coun Pat Ryan said: "It is a very big structure to have right in the gateway to the town and will intrude very much into the Abbey End area.

"The reason for the problem is that no business is happy to have these things on its building.

"The intensity of microwave radiation from these aerials are much higher than from previous generations.

"This raises the question of whether we are willing to countenance them on the public highway where people are walking past."

Coun Doug Golby (Lib Dem, Park Hill) said he understood the business community had a need for the masts, but Coun George Illingworth (Con, Abbey) told the meeting the only demand was from "kids sending photos to each other."

He added: "Of all the sites they could have picked, this is the worst."

And Coun Alison Tyler (Lib Dem, Park Hill) said: "If they have struggled hard to find a site, they haven't struggled hard enough."

No one from Hutchison was available for comment when the Weekly News went to press.

15 November 2006

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nlnews@archant.co.uk

15 November 2006

A MOBILE phone mast has been hidden in the tower at Hornsey Town Hall for the past four years, it has been revealed.

The mast, operated by O2, brings in an estimated £10,000 a year for Haringey Council, but residents are angry that they didn't know it was there.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, described the installation of the mast as "underhand".

She said: "I would have thought the council would have wanted to make sure that people were aware of this, given the amount of concern there is about mobile phone mast dangers. But I am surprised that they have acted in such an underhand way."

Haringey Council insisted that permission for the mast was dealt with in the proper manner, but residents are angry that the council did not allow the information to become common knowledge.

Details of the mast were announced at a meeting of the Hornsey Historical Society last week, where those in charge of guiding the development of the listed building were invited to discuss plans for the landmark.

It was there that Chris Warburton, chairman of the Hornsey Town Hall Partnership Board (CPB), told the audience that the mast was there.

Sue Hessel, of Haslemere Road Residents' Association, said: "Mr Warburton was as pleased as punch when he revealed the fact that they have now got a mobile phone mast in the town hall.

"It was as if it hadn't occurred to him that people might be concerned about this.

"They should have jolly well consulted about this."

Mrs Hessel pointed to the housing development planned for the town hall site, where around 140 new homes are planned.

She said: "This will be the largest housing development in Crouch End since Chettle Court. Surely people will be concerned that there will be a mast right on their doorstep."

Kit Greveson, of Crouch End for People - which is opposed to the CPB plans - described the mobile mast as "skulduggery".

She said: "Was anyone consulted about this? Are we to applaud this piece of skuldugerry and deceit.

"Haven't we been banging on all over the borough about the potential health risks of these modern pieces of development?"`

A spokesman for Haringey Council said that planning permission was granted in September 2002. He added: "The application was notified in the normal way, and complies with Government guidelines that councils have to follow when considering proposals of this type."

The money raised by the mobile phone mast may go into developing the town hall.

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15 November 2006

A PETITION is being gathered against plans for a mobile phone mast in a Muswell Hill church.

Mast installation company QS4 wants permission to put a mobile phone mast in the tower of St Peter-le-Poer, Albion Avenue.

But the proposal has angered many residents.

Anne Shepherd, who lives in nearby George Crescent, said: "I think it is appalling that the church can sell the neighbourhood off down this route for 30 pieces of silver. My bedroom window is 40 yards from the church and I am not having it."

A drop-in session was held at the church hall last week for people to view the plans and talk to QS4 representatives.

Reverend Bruce Bridgewood, of St Peter-le-Poer, said: "Of course there are legitimate concerns. Every time a mobile phone mast is put up anywhere people will say there's a health risk but they're all over the place as we know.

"The local authority can put one up at the end of the road without consultation and you're stuck with it. There are arguments on both sides and that is part of the reason for public consultation."

A spokesman for Barnet Council said it had not yet received a formal application to put a mast there.

Petitions are available to sign in shops at 79 and 131 Colney Hatch Lane.

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Mobile phone company Vodafone has been given permission to install a mast near two areas where children play.

The firm's proposal to site the mast on a grass verge along Elmer Road close to two grassed areas was given the go-ahead by a planning inspector.

William Cunningham overturned Arun District Council's refusal of the plans. He said the 12m high mast's location close to, but outside, the open space meant that it could be installed.

He also said it was not insensitive to site the structure opposite the mid-19th century St Nicholas Church because the church was not a listed building.

Bognor Regis Civic Society deputy chairman Hugh Coster, who opposed the plans, said: "I am particularly angry about this decision. It would seem to me that it is entirely illogical.

"The inspector has failed to take account of a number of important factors. Vodafone already have a mast in this village and the fact they want to put up another one takes no account of mast sharing, which is what mobile phone companies are supposed to do nowadays."

Full report in the November 9 issue of the Bognor Regis Observer

15 November 2006

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ANGRY Blidworth residents have blasted council chiefs and accused them of 'ineptitude' after a mobile phone company exploited a legal loophole to put up a mast just yards from their homes.

Phone giant 3G had applied for planning permission for a 15-metre base station on the car park of the derelict Blidworth Miners' Welfare building on Mansfield Road.

Newark and Sherwood District Council refused the application — but under new national rules a phone company must be notified of the decision within 56 days or the project can go ahead.

It was revealed this week that planners informed 3G on the 57th day, meaning the mast could be installed despite the no-go ruling.

Said head of planning Mike Evans: "Because of that hiccup we approached them and as a matter of goodwill had hoped that they would reconsider –– or at least meet us.

"But no, their attitude was 'we've got consent and we're going to erect it'. We're very disappointed."

But 3G bosses say they have done everything they were required to do — including asking relevant bodies for their comments before the planning application was even submitted — and insisted they are doing nothing legally wrong by putting up the mast.

Said spokesman Verity Blake: "It is regrettable they didn't contact us within the time frame as this causes problems for all parties."

Furious resident Susan Evans lives opposite the mast and has criticised council chiefs this week for their blunder.

"The council has been inept — it informed residents that planning permission had been refused but didn't get a letter to the company in time," she said. "The council's incompetence needs to be shown up."

Mrs Evans and her husband Bill now plan to lodge a complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman and say they are also considering legal action.

14 November 2006

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http://www.mansfieldtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=722&ArticleID=1876545

A PROPOSAL for a towering 40-foot mobile phone mast in the centre of a village conservation area has been condemned as "outrageous" by district councillor Gary Marsh.

"It would be like a Belisha beacon – visible from all over the village," Mr Marsh said. "It is absurd – complete cloud cuckoo land!"

The proposed siting by British Telecom at its telephone exchange in Stockcroft Road, Balcombe, also places the steel monopole next to Tiggers Playgroup, the village's pre-school group.

"Government guidelines say children below a certain age should not use mobile phones and yet this would be less than 50 metres from Tiggers," Mr Marsh said.

An application to site the mast in Stockcroft Road comes within days of another blow to villagers who campaigned against an application to put three wall-mounted antennae on Gilletts Surgery, near the village centre.

The district council refused permission because of fears of disturbance caused by humming from the equipment box. But an appeal by Orange has just been approved by a planning inspector on condition that noise insulation is agreed and emitted noise is measured and monitored.

Mr Marsh, district councillor for Balcombe, said he was "gutted" by the inspector's decision. He said Balcombe was already surrounded by at least 10 other masts, with permission for two more also given.

"It's bad enough having them across the valley trying to look like trees but bringing them into the village itself, on a doctors' surgery and next to a playgroup is appalling," he added.

Balcombe Parish Council will discuss the BT monopole application on Tuesday at 7.30pm in the WI Room at the Victory Hall. Residents have until December 1 to write to MSDC to comment on the application.

middy.news@sussexnewspapers.co.uk

14 November 2006

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ALAN RODEN
TRANSPORT REPORTER (aroden@edinburghnews.com)

CAMPAIGNERS have won their battle to stop a giant 29-metre high radio mast being put up in a conservation area.

The towering structure was earmarked for the South Suburban railway line in Newington, as part of Network Rail's plans to improve communications between train drivers and signallers.

Eight of the huge masts are still due to be built across the city, under an EU-wide safety initiative recommended in the wake of the Ladbroke Grove train crash in 1999 which killed 31 people.

But track and maintenance firm Network Rail has bowed to pressure from residents and local Lib Dem politicians over the siting of a mast in the Craigmillar Park Conservation Area.

Instead of one 29-metre mast, two smaller 15-metre structures will be erected - one close to the former Blackford railway station and another near Newington Cemetery. If you have a view on this or any other subject, let us know.

Tel:

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Email:

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The move was today welcomed by residents in the area, who said it was a victory for "consultation". Dr Allen Simpson, from Crawfurd Road, and a member of the Craigmillar Park Residents' Association, said: "This is a great relief, because we don't want a 100ft mast spoiling the view of this conservation area. Network Rail realised very early on that this was likely to be unpopular.

"Because this is a conservation area, it's particularly important that the quality of view is not spoilt. One large mast would have been obtrusive, but two smaller masts is a good result for us."

The government-funded masts scheme, which will cost £1.2 billion to install in the whole of the UK, was recommended by Lord Cullen after the Ladbroke Grove train crash. The new technology will allow drivers and signalmen to communicate directly, without having to rely on a signal from neighbouring mobile phone masts or on-train communications systems, which were installed 30 years ago.

The system will also allow simultaneous broadcast calls so that all drivers in a certain area can be contacted immediately to be warned of an incident or obstacle - and the whereabouts of trains will be more precisely charted, giving passengers more accurate information.

Due to national legislation, Network Rail does not need permission from city planners to build on its land next to railway lines.

The city's planning leader, Councillor Trevor Davies, has already said he would like the council to have more say over the scheme. Local councillor Fred Mackintosh said today: "I'd have preferred if this had gone through the planning system, like mobile phone masts do, but I'm pleased we won't have a giant mast in Newington."

Network Rail originally planned to erect 12 of the masts, but managed to find alternative solutions for three of them following informal discussions with council planners.

The giant masts are still due to go up at Portobello, Craigmillar, Riccarton, Dalmeny, South Gyle, Haymarket, Slateford and Kellerstain.

Previous plans to put extra masts at Waverley, Restalrig and Broxburn have been scrapped and - along with Newington - the structures will be replaced by smaller masts. Work in south Edinburgh is expected to be completed by February.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: "Following contact from Councillor Fred Mackintosh, we are pleased that we have managed to come up with an engineering solution that doesn't compromise the effectiveness of our radio communication system, but does take into account the area's conservation status."

Last updated: 13-Nov-06 17:24 GMT

©2006 Scotsman.com

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1679032006

A WOMAN who is allergic to the mobile phone era is praying that the High Court will back her fight against an 80ft transmission mast. Because she is sensitive to electro-magnetic emissions, Pam Harris has turned her home into a cocoon where there is no microwave oven and no food which has been packed in tin cans.

Pam is also allergic to wheat and gluten products. To stay alive, she has to hook herself up to a machine for 17 hours every other day to have essential nutrients pumped into her bloodstream.

Today, she said she fears that emissions from the mast might make the machine malfunction.

She said: "I have to use the machine overnight and have to depend on its alarm system warning me that the treatment has nearly come to an end, and if I do not get the warning there's a risk of getting an air bubble in the tube which is connected to my heart.

"This could cause a stroke or blood clot.

"When I am exposed to emissions, even at a low level when passing a mast in the car, my blood levels alter dramatically, and my heart skips a beat.

"That is why it is such a stressful situation."

When mobile company 3G submitted plans to Peterborough City Council in May 2005, residents formed the Deeping Mast Action Group.

The council threw out the application, but the decision was overturned by a Government inspector.

The action group, which is rallying round Pam, raised £5,000 to challenge 3G in the High Court in London – but is still waiting for a hearing date to be confirmed.

Pam was first diagnosed with rare electro-magnetic sensitivity in 1983 – a condition which she believes has been diagnosed as serious in just 15 other people since medical records began – and the boom in mobile phones was her worst nightmare.

She and her husband, Johnny, left Northamptonshire seven years ago and thought she would be safe in the bungalow at Deeping Gate, near Market deeping, which they spent thousands of pounds converting to accommodate the machine.

She said: "If the mast is approved, I can no longer live here without serious risk to my life.

"My life is just as important to me as their mobile phone mast seems to be to them."

In a letter, which the protest group has submitted to the High Court, Pam's specialist, Dr Jeremy Nightingale, a consultant at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said: "There may be health risks and mechanical problems with the pump relating to a telecommunication tower if situated very near to her house.

"In view of the uncertainty, it would be best to avoid building the tower close to her house."

Pam's GP, Dr Andrew Norman, said: "She has significant allergies to food, chemicals and drugs, and the effect of extraneous exposure to chemicals and to electromagnetic radiation may have unpredictable serious consequences."

A spokesman for the action group said : "This is a very real case, and all the medical evidence is there, even though it was ignored by the Government inspector.

"They are riding roughshod over the health of people who would have to live near this mast, when there is no proof that they don't cause health problems."

A spokeswoman for 3G said today it was "unable to comment at this time".

13 November 2006

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