Councillors have backed plans for a 45ft-high mobile phone mast near a Telford bypass despite a petition signed by nearly 700 people. Objectors also wrote 28 letters of objection.
The St Georges and Priorslee residents were fighting T-Mobile UK Ltd’s plans for a monopole and two equipment cabinets on the verge off Telford Way.
They expressed concerns about potential health risks, visual intrusion and the effect on the environment.
A objectors’ petition with 663 signatures was also sent in.
Councillors Ian and Veronica Fletcher and John Minor spoke up for the residents, some of whom packed the public gallery at last night’s Telford & Wrekin Council plans board meeting.
Mr Ian Fletcher said: “A petition has been signed by 600-odd people.
“It’s pointed out that some of them don’t actually live in the area but they visit the area.”
He outlined the fears of parents with children atte-nding a nearby nursery.
Officers had urged councillors to agree that the position and appearance of the equipment was considered acceptable, that full planning application was not needed and that prior approval be given.
And with the vote tied at three for and three against, board chairman David Blackwell used his casting vote to push through the application.
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6 Comments
so the people of st georges don’t want a phone mast, how many of the objectors use mobile phone? typical NIMBYs
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Hmmm. I wonder how many of the 700 objectors have a mobile phone? And where they think the mast *should* be sited?
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I thought that Councillors were elected to represent their local community’s views.
With such large numbers of residents signing the petition and other individual letters against this mast, half these Councillors seem to have forgotten, just who they are representing?
Is it possible there was an unreported larger petition and letters from others wanting this mast!
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Owning a mobile phone is a personal choice. Having a mast dumped on your doorstep is not. There is overwhelming evidence of health risk. Over 1000 independent studies, linking phone mast electro magnetic radiation with serious ill health including cancer, confirm that masts should not be sited within 350 metres of schools or housing. Phone operators dismiss such research, alleging that their own studies suggests no health risk. However last month the national press revealed that T-Mobile covered up the damaging results of their own research. The Ecolog Institute, a research organisation which examines the health effects of mobile phones, was commissioned by T-Mobile to investigate the possible health risks of mobile phone masts. The 2003 Ecolog report confirmed:
‘Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer. This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system.’
NAILA/WOLF/HUTTER/SANTINI/OBERFELD/BAMBERG are all peer reviewed scientific studies showing increased cancers/illnesses from this Industry’s phone mast radiation.
The recent Panorama programme on the dangers of Phone Mast/WiFi technology also confirmed that even Sir William Stewart, the Government’s own Chief Scientific Adviser and Chairman of the Health Protection Agency, doesn’t think this technology is safe. He called for a moratorium on the siting of phone masts in the vicinity of schools and housing. I don’t think Councillor Blackwell understands the dreadful consequences of his decision.
Please see Radiation Research Trust, Mast Sanity, Powerwatch or W.A.R.T. websites for the evidence.
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J Elliott – Most of those so called stuides and pieces of research have lots of critics are by no means the accepted opinion. Of course it looks bad if you only quote the sources that back your pre-determined opinion. There are plenty more sources that show no ill-effect whatsoever.
Matt
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I write from liverpool, we have just been through exactly the same experiance as you people. It appears these Mobile Companies are ruling the roost when it come to erecting these masts. Our particular one is going to be sited on the grass verge outside our houses, and will also overlook onto the primary school/nursery playgrounds. Like you we sent in 398 letters of objection, but to no avail. We believe it was cut and dried before the planning committee met. I spoke at the meeting ‘pleading’ our case, the T-mobile representaion was a complete ‘farce’ he mumbled for about a minute, reading from a scraggy piece of paper with doodles on it, and concluded by saying ‘that’s it’ he could have at least pretended that he was fighting his corner. We understand how you must all be feeling, but these councils seem to forget they will need our votes one day, and I can asure you I for one will be voting for the green party in future. Good luck if you are going to start a campagn in getting the mast taken down, I believe it can take a long time but we are at least going to try. All the best to you all for the future.Julie from Liverpool
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