Call to halt mobile mast plan
Derbyshire Times
Furious campaigners are waging a David-and-Goliath-style battle to stop a mobile phone giant building a 17.5m mast on their doorstep.
Furious campaigners are waging a David-and-Goliath-style battle to stop a mobile phone giant building a 17.5m mast on their doorstep.
Around 40 residents have joined forces after operator O2 lodged a planning application for the roadside mast, which would be erected on the pavement between GKN Sheepridge Social Club and West View Road on Newbold Road.
They have vowed to bombard Chesterfield Borough Council planning chiefs with letters of objection and have set about collecting hundreds of signatures on an anti-mast petition.
Kaz Undrell, whose West View Road home is 40m from the propsed site, said: "O2 have already applied for a few sites in Newbold – and have been turned down for every one.
"The mast they are tallking about here will be twice the height of the surrounding trees and over 40 residents have already held a meeting to voice their opposition.
"Most people are worried about the health implications of putting a mast close to their homes; others are worried about the aesthetic appearance of the mast; and some fear its roadside location will prove dangerous if there is an accident."
Mrs Undrell, spokeswoman for the campign group, said mobile phone operators should look at upgrading and sharing existing masts before building new ones in residential locations.
She added: "We are very hopeful that the borough council will listen to public opinion. Nobody knows how safe these masts are and in our book unsure is unsafe."
A Chesterfield Borough Council spokesman said no date had yet been fixed for the application to be heard.
He added: "All representations will be considered by planning commitee in the determination of the application along with local and national planning policies on the location of telecom equipment."
23 June 2005
Furious campaigners are waging a David-and-Goliath-style battle to stop a mobile phone giant building a 17.5m mast on their doorstep.
Furious campaigners are waging a David-and-Goliath-style battle to stop a mobile phone giant building a 17.5m mast on their doorstep.
Around 40 residents have joined forces after operator O2 lodged a planning application for the roadside mast, which would be erected on the pavement between GKN Sheepridge Social Club and West View Road on Newbold Road.
They have vowed to bombard Chesterfield Borough Council planning chiefs with letters of objection and have set about collecting hundreds of signatures on an anti-mast petition.
Kaz Undrell, whose West View Road home is 40m from the propsed site, said: "O2 have already applied for a few sites in Newbold – and have been turned down for every one.
"The mast they are tallking about here will be twice the height of the surrounding trees and over 40 residents have already held a meeting to voice their opposition.
"Most people are worried about the health implications of putting a mast close to their homes; others are worried about the aesthetic appearance of the mast; and some fear its roadside location will prove dangerous if there is an accident."
Mrs Undrell, spokeswoman for the campign group, said mobile phone operators should look at upgrading and sharing existing masts before building new ones in residential locations.
She added: "We are very hopeful that the borough council will listen to public opinion. Nobody knows how safe these masts are and in our book unsure is unsafe."
A Chesterfield Borough Council spokesman said no date had yet been fixed for the application to be heard.
He added: "All representations will be considered by planning commitee in the determination of the application along with local and national planning policies on the location of telecom equipment."
23 June 2005
Starmail - 24. Jun, 16:20
