A mobile phone company is set to steamroll over public opinion by erecting a mast next to schools and a health centre in Southfields.

The Southfields community is powerless to stop Vodafone putting up a 13.4m mast in Revelstoke Road.

The telecommunications equipment would emit radiation despite Wimbledon Park Primary School, two nurseries and the Revelstoke Road Surgery lying within a 300 yard radius.

Vodafone has applied for prior approval from Merton Council, who can only prevent masts going up if they are more than 15m or are next to sensitive locations such as conservation areas and listed buildings.

It means the council is virtually powerless to stop the Vodafone mast and will have to grant approval on the September 22 deadline. Nationwide mast planning guidance has come down as a Government directive.

Wimbledon Park Councillor Tariq Ahmad said hundreds of signatures had been collected against the mast.

Coun Ahmad said: "More recent guidance out of the Office of the Deputy Prime calls for extensive consultation and taking into the account the views of residents, particularly where children are being impacted."

However a Vodafone spokeswoman said the radiation limits complied with international guidelines.

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

She said: "If you want to use our mobile phones in cities we must have masts for that to work."

http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.640773.0.mobile_phone_mast_likely_to_get_goahead.php