Nearly 200 objections to mobile phone mast
This is the North East
08.12.05
ALMOST 200 people have objected to plans for a 52ft mobile phone mast at the entrance to a town.
Objectors say the controversial plan has galvanised residents into action because it would ruin an attractive view of Masham, near Ripon.
Mobile phone company Airwave MM02 has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for planning permission for the mast.
A decision will be made by the council's head of planning services, Tim Richards, and planning committee chairman Councillor Nigel Simms, who represents Masham on the council.
The decision will be made on December 19 and the deadline for objections is tomorrow. Nearly 200 objections have been received by Masham Community Office, which is co-ordinating responses and sending them to the borough council.
Masham Parish Council vice-chairwoman Flo Grainger said: "I am very pleased and surprised by the numbers of objections.
"The mast plan has brought so many objections because it would have a widespread impact and ruin the view of Masham."
The company, which said the mast was needed to improve police communications, plans to site it on a grass verge near Low Burton Hall, at the junction of the B6267 and A6108, from Bedale and Ripon.
Councillor Grainger said campaigners against the mast had been boosted by news that the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty administration plans to object.
Apart from the mast's impact, residents are also concerned that the planned site is at an accident blackspot and on a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.
Masham Parish Council has tabled a strong protest.
Its chairman, Councillor Andy Burrell, said: "This is not the place for a mobile phone mast.
"We could not object more strongly to this unwanted plan."
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This is yet another TETRA addition after O2 Airwave's V-P declared early this year that no more masts were needed (for police or any other service user yet to take it up) in support of the Firelink bid.
One objection to this mast might be to prove that it is needed, in the light of O2 Airwave's public statement that it would not be needed.
Andy
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Thanks for this Andy.
Next question: what happens to the much-publicised high-security encryption claimed for Airwave - so that people can't eavesdrop on confidential police communications?
This article makes it very clear that highly confidential information from the Police National Computer, as well as confidential emails, will be going over the ordinary public network. So what about all that concern for security that made Airwave so essential???
The whole thing is an utter (black) farce. If the Airwave contract had been awarded by a private company, rather than an arm of government, heads would be rolling at the very highest level in the boardrooms of that company. But since in this case we, the public, are the 'shareholders' of UK PLC, who's going to care?
I think it would be naive to rule out some sort of hidden agenda - there are more surprises in store yet (for those of us who haven't gone beyond being surprised by anything about this fiasco).
Grahame
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And what's more, reviewing what Rohill is saying about TETRA in Germany, Spain and Netherlands, they are waiting for TETRA standard 2 in order to provide end-to-end encryption. Either they are wrong, or Airwave is not fully end-to-end as stated and believed by our police forces.
Andy
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... And I recall reading in an earlier 'Computing' article that many (probably most) of the handsets currently in use will not support TETRA Standard 2, and will therefore need replacing. And I doubt that Airwave handsets are given away free with the coco-pops.
The beat goes on ...
Grahame
08.12.05
ALMOST 200 people have objected to plans for a 52ft mobile phone mast at the entrance to a town.
Objectors say the controversial plan has galvanised residents into action because it would ruin an attractive view of Masham, near Ripon.
Mobile phone company Airwave MM02 has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for planning permission for the mast.
A decision will be made by the council's head of planning services, Tim Richards, and planning committee chairman Councillor Nigel Simms, who represents Masham on the council.
The decision will be made on December 19 and the deadline for objections is tomorrow. Nearly 200 objections have been received by Masham Community Office, which is co-ordinating responses and sending them to the borough council.
Masham Parish Council vice-chairwoman Flo Grainger said: "I am very pleased and surprised by the numbers of objections.
"The mast plan has brought so many objections because it would have a widespread impact and ruin the view of Masham."
The company, which said the mast was needed to improve police communications, plans to site it on a grass verge near Low Burton Hall, at the junction of the B6267 and A6108, from Bedale and Ripon.
Councillor Grainger said campaigners against the mast had been boosted by news that the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty administration plans to object.
Apart from the mast's impact, residents are also concerned that the planned site is at an accident blackspot and on a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.
Masham Parish Council has tabled a strong protest.
Its chairman, Councillor Andy Burrell, said: "This is not the place for a mobile phone mast.
"We could not object more strongly to this unwanted plan."
--------
This is yet another TETRA addition after O2 Airwave's V-P declared early this year that no more masts were needed (for police or any other service user yet to take it up) in support of the Firelink bid.
One objection to this mast might be to prove that it is needed, in the light of O2 Airwave's public statement that it would not be needed.
Andy
--------
Thanks for this Andy.
Next question: what happens to the much-publicised high-security encryption claimed for Airwave - so that people can't eavesdrop on confidential police communications?
This article makes it very clear that highly confidential information from the Police National Computer, as well as confidential emails, will be going over the ordinary public network. So what about all that concern for security that made Airwave so essential???
The whole thing is an utter (black) farce. If the Airwave contract had been awarded by a private company, rather than an arm of government, heads would be rolling at the very highest level in the boardrooms of that company. But since in this case we, the public, are the 'shareholders' of UK PLC, who's going to care?
I think it would be naive to rule out some sort of hidden agenda - there are more surprises in store yet (for those of us who haven't gone beyond being surprised by anything about this fiasco).
Grahame
--------
And what's more, reviewing what Rohill is saying about TETRA in Germany, Spain and Netherlands, they are waiting for TETRA standard 2 in order to provide end-to-end encryption. Either they are wrong, or Airwave is not fully end-to-end as stated and believed by our police forces.
Andy
--------
... And I recall reading in an earlier 'Computing' article that many (probably most) of the handsets currently in use will not support TETRA Standard 2, and will therefore need replacing. And I doubt that Airwave handsets are given away free with the coco-pops.
The beat goes on ...
Grahame
Starmail - 8. Dez, 16:14
