Phone mast fight: Appeal is lodged
May 18 2005
South Warwickshire
By Andrew Heath
Controversial plans for a phone mast in Kenilworth are to go before the planning inspectorate.
Phone company O2 has appealed against Warwick District Council's decision to refuse the plans for the mast at the junction of Crewe Lane and Glasshouse Lane.
Residents voiced concerns about the proposal, citing worries about health risks and the impact the mast may have on the "dangerous" junction.
They were backed by Kenil-worth Town Council, Cllr Dave Shilton and the Kenilworth Society.
Geoff Symes, clerk at the town council, said: "It is on the barrier between a residential area and the green belt.
"There is poor visibility on the junction and everyone who lives there knows that this has to be approached with great caution already."
Warwick District Council's planning committee turned down the application on the grounds the pole would be visually intrusive on an already dangerous junction.
But, despite another application for a mast a few hundred yards away, with no objections, O2 has appealed.
Cllr Shilton (Lib Dem, Kenilworth Park Hill) said: "It is a sad way of working.
"It gets the fears of residents up and I will continue to campaign against it."
Campaigners in Kenilworth are fighting other applications for masts at Birmingham Road, near Beehive Hill and on the junction of Waverley Road and Priory Road.
A spokeswoman for O2 said: "We urgently need a mast in the area for our 3G coverage.
"We are actually trying to cover all eventualities and if we get planning permission for the other one, we will withdraw the appeal against the initial application."
South Warwickshire
By Andrew Heath
Controversial plans for a phone mast in Kenilworth are to go before the planning inspectorate.
Phone company O2 has appealed against Warwick District Council's decision to refuse the plans for the mast at the junction of Crewe Lane and Glasshouse Lane.
Residents voiced concerns about the proposal, citing worries about health risks and the impact the mast may have on the "dangerous" junction.
They were backed by Kenil-worth Town Council, Cllr Dave Shilton and the Kenilworth Society.
Geoff Symes, clerk at the town council, said: "It is on the barrier between a residential area and the green belt.
"There is poor visibility on the junction and everyone who lives there knows that this has to be approached with great caution already."
Warwick District Council's planning committee turned down the application on the grounds the pole would be visually intrusive on an already dangerous junction.
But, despite another application for a mast a few hundred yards away, with no objections, O2 has appealed.
Cllr Shilton (Lib Dem, Kenilworth Park Hill) said: "It is a sad way of working.
"It gets the fears of residents up and I will continue to campaign against it."
Campaigners in Kenilworth are fighting other applications for masts at Birmingham Road, near Beehive Hill and on the junction of Waverley Road and Priory Road.
A spokeswoman for O2 said: "We urgently need a mast in the area for our 3G coverage.
"We are actually trying to cover all eventualities and if we get planning permission for the other one, we will withdraw the appeal against the initial application."
Starmail - 19. Mai, 15:45
