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MPs to hear of fears over mast bid
Saturday 17th January 2009, 12:25PM GMT.
Fears about a 12m-high mobile phone mast being sited near two primary schools in Shrewsbury are to be highlighted in Parliament.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski is to raise the concerns about Vodafone’s plans to install the mast in Copthorne, on a site which nearly 1,000 campaigners fought to keep clear just under two years ago.
Demonstrators celebrated after their protest campaign, including a 950-signature petition, forced phone firm O2 to reconsider its plans for a 41ft antenna at Copthorne in March, 2007.
But Vodafone now plans to use the original planning permission to site its mast near to the Woodfield County Infant School and St George’s Primary School.
Mr Kawczynski met company managers in the Commons this week and was told all alternative sites suggested were unacceptable or inappropriate. He said he would put down a motion in Parliament about phone masts being put so close to primary schools, describing this as “unacceptable”.
“I am going to raise it in Parliament on Monday to highlight what they are doing,” he said. “I never want to give up until it is actually constructed.”
More than 100 protesters took to the streets in Shrewsbury in December to campaign against the mast.
Vodafone says it takes neighbourhood concerns extremely seriously.
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Why is the proximity to schools an issue? A child will spend about 6 hours a day in school. If indeed phone masts present a risk (which ultimately hasn’t been proved), then what happens if the masts are located away from schools but near the homes of children, where they spend the remaining 18 hours of the day? Mast location near schools is such a non issue used by nimbys to attempt to strenghthen their cases.
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there is no risk from mobile phone masts
people ought to hang up or switch off if they really believe that
its just NIMBYs worried about house prices, same as the anti wind turbine brigade, there irrational and unfounded in their acusations, they need to be ignored because all the science says its safe, if they really beleived what they said they would be burning their mobiles in the streets and going back to land lines, as they do not they are just hypocrites
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Whilst I am 99% convinced that the harm from these masts poses no harm to adults children are a different issue mainly because there bodies are changing at such a rate! we need more data over a longer period.
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Actually, it’s not just that the mast is near a school thats an issue. Where there are schools there are ultimately homes where the children live. The issue is that the phone mast is being built in a highly populated area close to schools, homes, places of work and entertainment. We don’t have conclusive proof that masts do or don’t cause health problems because no long term studies have been done. We are the guinea pigs! There are however, huge numbers of reports of people who have experienced serious health problems after the erection of a phone mast close to their homes and these cannot be ignored. I live close to the site of the proposed mast and I am a NIMBY and proud!
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Good point Space hopper, and what about the increasing number of children who now have their own mobile phone?
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What an unintelligent comment from space hopper.
The worldwide anecdotal evidence on the health dangers posed by mobile phone masts is absolutely overwhelming.
But also take note that our Government has received £22.47 Billion from the sales of Licences for mobile phone. Plus, the landowners where the masts are sited received an average of £10,000 per year. Governmental Policy is not just being influenced by these obscene billions, it is being determined!
The future for Mobile Phones lies in Satellite Transmission technology.
I suggest that spacew hopper takes his/her head out of the sand.
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obviosuly the antis practice what they preach and dont use mobile phones out of principle then??
thought not…
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Couldn’t we all just use a bit of common sense here. The government recommends that masts are not sited near schools and homes, so why put them there. When at home can’t we just use our landlines and just have mobile phones for travelling. I would not want a mast near my home, but i don’t object to one a few hundred meters away along the A49. More and more these phones are being used to send nonsense text messages and jokes, they should be for emergencies or when there is no alternative. They have not been proven safe and the governments own reports state that over and over again, so lets be sensable about where these masts go, because it’s to late when it’s up and effecting the health of those around it.
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scarletpimpernel said ” The worldwide anecdotal evidence on the health dangers posed by mobile phone masts is absolutely overwhelming”
Absolutely overwhelming eh ?? Bold statement
Go on then – produce some hard evidence that shows mobile phone masts are harmful. Not necessarily ‘overwhelming’ evidence. Just ANY evidence from a neutral source.
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How about, if the school outrightly banned all mobile phones from its premises, right upto the edge of its land? I say this because as there is no tower, so all mobile phones on the premises would be putting out high power a skulls thickness from the brains of those using them on the there? However if the mast was there, the phones would put out minimal power. As far as the mast and its continuous output – how about some unbiased scientist (ask who funded the work first!) before you believe it. Just because it govt doesn’t mean its biased.
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COLTAN is a metal used to make pinhead capacitors, which regulate voltage and store energy in mobile phones.
80% of the world’s COLTAN reserves are in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
If readers are unaware that the worldwide demand for COLTAN is fuelling a devastating war in that African country, I recommend Mvemba Phezo Dizolele’s 5-minute video ‘Congo’s Bloody Coltan’ on the Pullitzer Centre of Crisis Reporting website.
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Oh dear a lot of ill-informed comments on here, especially that of the pimpernel. 10k per site – where are your facts on this one?
The signal emissions from an antenna are very minimal – power requirements are similar to that of a 40w bulb in order to run a site. However the concentrated beam from a mobile phone is far stronger – as said above don’t use one if you don’t want the consequences!
The only reason they have decided to position the site in this location is becuase there will be a coverage whole here. How frustrating is it when you cannot use your phone?
Lastly, once again absolute rubbish reporting from the Star on a matter that the author clearly knows nothing about. Scare mongering with a picture of a lattice tower which is by no means anything like what will be installed in this location as well as reporting a 41ft antenna! Please please please show me what a 41ft antenna looks like.
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people are mentioning the consequences of using a phone, I have a question as regards this, why is it that a tiny majority of the population, if any at all are reporting effects? If you people asking for the facts bothered to check for yourselves, you would find them, there’s little to no effect from using a mobile phone
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