July 25, 2005

Hi All

I'm receiving increasing evidence that microwave device use in some other nearby countries is far less than here.

Both myself and a few others (eg Ann Furtado) have noticed vastly less mobile use in France (the North too) than here on recent visits. Now two friends having just returned from two weeks in Turkey said they only saw three or four people using mobiles in their entire time there! When I asked them about masts they said they didn't see any (though they could be hidden or they might not be looking out for them anyway - they wouldn't be). However if nobody's using a mobile, networks will make a financial loss for Telecoms cos won't they?

I wonder why and the only reason I can come up with is that microwave devices are so aggressively marketed here in the media. Virtually every day a new use is given for them in some programme or other and on ITV and Channel 4 there's at least one nauseating ad for them in every commercial break.

I raise this as I'm so sick of microwave pollution and the threat of water fluoridation here I'm looking into other places in Europe (or not too far away) to move to.

BW Gary

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From Karen Barratt

The telecoms paid far too much money (£23 billion) for 3G licences in UK - a mixture of greed and stupidity and have to try and get some of it back in profits. Hence the aggressive marketing. In addition this Govt. has been brainwashed by industry lobbyists (and probably the elite group of unpaid advisors) into thinking "technology" is the answer to all our ills, will make us a global players etc. That is why our whole culture at the moment is dominated by the policy of making people / education / business etc. dependent on all this stuff.

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Hi Karen

I'm aware that the industry are going to great lengths to recoup their losses except they won't be content at recouping just some - they'll want it all back and then a packet. This industry pay off clearly hasn't happened in at least some other countries (eg Turkey and France for starters) or if it has then to nowhere near the same extent or those counties would be microwave hells by now for sure. But who knows where the telecoms industry will target next?

Gary

Jul 22, 2005, 15:51

The Chronicle West Midlands

Stourbridge's popular Laser Quest centre could be forced to close down by emissions from a nearby mobile phone mast interfering with players' guns.

Managing director Mr Robert Brookes said signals from the controversial mast could interfere with the radio signals controlling laser packs ruining customers' games.

And if the packs are affected Mr Brookes said he could be left with no choice but to shut Laser Quest.

He said: "It is very stressful and frustrating because we do not know what the impact is going to be when this mast is made active.

"Our packs work on a very low radio frequency which is going to be swamped with stronger signals that could interfere with the equipment."

Dudley Council refused planning permission for Orange to install a mast on top of St Andrew's House, but the decision was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol and the mast is now thought to have been taken over by T-Mobile.

Mr Brookes said: "The schools, residents and local councillors all objected so for it to go down to Bristol and be overturned is outrageous."

Firefighters use Laser Quest as a training site for scenario based exercises and said it would be a blow if the centre was forced to close.

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From Karen Barratt

You have 3 months in which to take legal action against an operator under the Telecom Act after a mast becomes operational. In addition I think commercial enterprises have rights under European legislation. In the Byron Ave case we hoped to challenge Orange on the possibility of the mast (due to power output) interfering with sensitive equipment in our homes. I think we found that although some of us work from home the regulations only applied to companies not domestic premises whose operations were affected. If someone is in touch with the people in this report, tell them to look into it.

North Allerton News 23.07.05

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a mobile phone mast near a village on the edge of the North York Moors are likely to be approved, despite strong opposition.

Orange wants to erect the 20-metre mast at Great Broughton, next to a public footpath among trees by Bradley Beck, about a kilometre outside the National Park.

Hambleton District Council's planning officials are recommending local councillors to approve the mast, which would be painted brown.

Great Broughton Parish Council members are unanimously against the scheme.

They said that the location was unsuitable and would impact on the area.

The neighbouring parish council at Kirkby also wants to see the proposal thrown out.

In a report to planners, it said: "This is a beautiful area and if one is really needed, why can it not be placed on the Stokesley industrial park?"

The National Park authority has yet to respond to the application, but the local branch of the Ramblers Association said the mast would "impinge" on people using the footpath.

The site is about 700 metres from the nearest school and 150 metres from the nearest home. A total of 122 letters of objection have been received by the district council, along with a 38-name petition.

Their objections include health concerns, the impact on tourism and the effect it would have on views from the National Park and trails in the area.

However, planning officials said that while it was important to ensure the rural landscape was protected from inappropriate development, the application site has no special designation.

A report to the development control committee said: "The need for the proposed mast has been established and there is no alternative location that would be appropriate. The visual impact of the mast is outweighed by the technical and operational requirements."

By Jenny Clarke

Waltham Forest Guardian

RESIDENTS were delighted when plans to build a mobile phone mast in Chingford were thrown out by councillors.

The application from T Mobile to erect the 11.7 metre high mast on Highways Agency land next to the traffic roundabout in Waltham Way was turned down by the planning committee.

Colleen Montgomery, a local resident, told the meeting: "This area is residential and there are a lot of bungalows that do not stand very tall. If this mast goes ahead it will not be bungalow land', it will be mobile mast land'."

Councillors are unable to turn down any application for a mobile phone mast on health grounds, but agreed it would have a detrimental impact on the street scene and would represent street clutter.

9:41am Saturday 23rd July 2005

SONYA WAKEFIELD

12:00 - 23 July 2005

Many people aspire to living in a picturesque cottage in a close-knit community. But for some residents in Keele that dream is beginning to turn into a nightmare.

Instead of whiling away the hours enjoying the pleasant vistas of the nearby golf course, they have been gazing at two telephone masts.

And they fear that their view is once again about to be spoilt by another modern-day visual menace.

In the past two years, the two telephone masts have been erected near Boggs Cottages, in Keele Road, by telecommunications company O2.

Now residents of the five cottages fear their rural idyll will be further spoiled, after phone company Vodafone applied to put its own mast on land just metres away.

Vodafone has submitted an application to Newcastle Borough Council to put a 12-metre mast at the course.

The mast would have three antennae and equipment cabinet on the ground and would be situated on the driving range - near the O2 mast.

The residents living in the five cottages also have health concerns about the masts and have signed a petition which has now been sent to the borough council.

Cheryl Wilton has lived in her cottage for more than four years. The 58-year-old said: "I was born in the village - I would like to die here. I can see the masts when I look out of the window. This is a lovely place to live. Why have we got to have them by us?"

Neighbour Jane Barlow said: "This is quite a rural area and they are historic cottages and have probably been here for around 155 years.

"Where we live is a lovely area. I just think it's ridiculous and I can't understand why out of all the places they want to put them right next to where we live.

"It's a nice area and we keep getting all these applications for masts, we don't want any more."

Ed Broughton, who campaigned against previous masts being erected, echoed the calls. He said: "Apart from anything else, there's the health risk. It's not been proved they cause serious health problems but it's not been disproved either."

Omega it has been proved they cause serious health. See under:
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

And Eileen Amphlett, aged 51, said: "At the end of the day they're that close to us we could have one in our back garden. We're not getting any benefit from it. At the moment we have two - one right opposite and one by the side of us.

"Why not put them a couple of miles down the road where there are no houses or cottages?"

Other residents, Leonard and Brenda Edwards, also strongly oppose the installation of the phone masts.

Keele Golf Course declined to make any comment about the masts. The golf course is owned by the borough council but run by a private company.

Jane Frapwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said: "We do appreciate that we've an over-riding obligation to minimise visual impact but of course at the same time we've got an obligation to provide a service for local people."

A spokesman for the borough council said the application will go before the planning committee next month.

She said: "Rent for the masts is paid to the borough council which owns the driving range. However we can't disclose details of the rents as these are private financial arrangements."

sonya.wakefield@thesentinel.co.uk

Chichester Observer

A nursery for very young children could have a mobile phone mast built next to it.

Hutchison 3G, owners of the '3' video and picture messaging mobile phone network, is eyeing a site opposite the Ladybird Nursery in Bracklesham Lane, Bracklesham Bay to build the 15m mast.

The idea, which has yet to reach the formal planning stage, has been called 'a kick in the teeth' by nursery owner, Stewart Blunden, who looks after children from new-born to five years old.

Mr Blunden revealed the mobile phone company's intentions to the Observer after it emerged that he was the only business owner or individual in the area who had been contacted by Hutchison during a 'consultation' excercise.

"Why am I the only person to be contacted about it?" he said. "Surely if they want a consultation excercise they should consult as many people as possible.

"I have to believe the Stewart Report which says these masts are safe. But we all know the government lies to us."

"Who in their right mind would send their children to a nursery which has a great big mast opposite it?"

Full report in the July 14 issue of the Chichester Observer

21 July 2005

Tamworth Herald

LINDSEY SMITH

10:30 - 21 July 2005

A Mobile phone mast hidden inside a petrol station price sign has caused fury among residents in Coleshill.

The mast, owned by telecommunications giant T-Mobile, is believed to have been placed within the price sign at the Shell garage after residents overturned plans to erect it at the BT telephone exchange in the town centre in 2001.

Now residents plan to stage a public protest at the High Street service station on Saturday (July 23), amid demands that mobile phone companies become 'more transparent'.

More than 300 residents have written to mast owner T-Mobile and to Shell UK following the mast's discovery, which came to light when residents concerned about the growing number of masts in Coleshill looked up the locations of all the local masts on a government telecommunications website.

Diane Upton, who lives just off the High Street in Wood Close, says she's appalled with the mobile phone company.

"Considering operators are always telling us masts are completely safe it seems a little odd to have to resort to hiding one in a petrol station sign," she told the Herald.

"We've had a letter from T-Mobile saying that the mast is harmless but I don't believe it. I've got rashes and my husband's just been diagnosed with throat cancer."

Coleshill Cllr Gordon Sherratt was on the parish council which objected to the height of the mast four years ago.

"I remember they tried to get a mast put up at the BT exchange and people objected, so they pulled out.

"Then the garage applied for planning permission for a new sign. We thought it was too tall and tried to object on those grounds but there was definitely nothing about there being a mast inside it."

Gloucester Echo

10:30 - 21 July 2005

Furious Prestbury residents turned out in force to oppose plans for a mobile phone mast on their doorsteps.

A crowd of 300 schoolchildren, parents, teachers, residents and councillors met outside St Mary's Church Hall, in Bouncers Lane. Mobile phone giant Hutchison 3G want to put up a mast yards from Prestbury Play Mates playgroup and St Mary's Infant and Junior School.

Opponents say Hutchison have chosen the worst possible location.

Protest organiser Linda Dove said: "I hope the number of people here sends a clear message to Hutchison. Their mast isn't wanted."

Hutchison say it won't make them change their minds.

Spokesman Mike Dobson said: "They have a right to make their protest but this is the most suitable site."

Daphne Philpot, chairman of governors at St Mary's Junior School, said: "Our message is 'think again and be responsible'.

"Until there's proof that phone masts are not harmful they shouldn't be built near schools."

Hutchison wanted to put the phone mast in Cheltenham Cemetery - but the presence of badgers changed their plans.

The company wants to put the pole on the back of buildings next to the church hall. It would stick up above the building by 3.7m.

Prestbury resident David Barnett said: "My grandson goes to school over the road. Are badgers more important than him?

"It's ridiculous and simply for the sake of making money."

Tanya Wood took her nine-year-old son to the protest. She said: "We live in Chiltern Road and my son goes to the junior school. He would be in the proximity of a phone mast for 24 hours. It can't be allowed."

Her son Arthur said: "My friends and I are worried about the health risks. They should build it somewhere else."

St Mary's Junior School pupil Emily Wilsdon said: "Everyone thinks it's mad. It's not safe to be built near two schools and a playgroup. It's a stupid idea and we want them to go away."

Coun Malcolm Stennett (PAB, Prestbury) said: "It's scandalous that this site is even being considered. Another location should be sought.

"We must keep the pressure on the mobile phone company. It worked for the residents in Leckhampton and it can here."

Coun Les Godwin (PAB, Prestbury) said: "An alternative site at the cemetery was agreed. Hutchison have spent three years trying to find an excuse not to use it.

"We all know that badgers are a protected species but so are children."

There are 180 children at the infant school, 240 at the junior school and 24 children per session at the playgroup.

Dennis Thorn, of Glebe Road, said: "Can we guarantee the safety of so many children who live, play and go to school in the area?"

Hutchison spokesman Mr Dobson said: "We can assure people that our equipment complies with health and safety guidelines.

"The scientific balance of evidence is that masts such as this cause no adverse affects to health."

Omega masts cause adverse affects to health. See under:
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

Surrey Comet

A proposal to site a 12m Orange mobile phone mast at the junction of Chessington Road and Longmead Road, Ewell has attracted objections from residents concerned for their health.

In a consultation letter, the telecommunications company told homeowners that the location had been sensitively selected to minimise impact on the environment. Thirteen other sites were rejected after preliminary investigations.

But villagers are concerned about the proposed site being near three schools research has linked the masts to childhood leukaemia.

They also claim the consultation has been too narrow.

Orange, which says there is no substantiated evidence about the health threats, is yet to a lodge a formal planning application.

Omega there is substantiated evidence about the health threats. See under http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

3:24pm Thursday 21st July 2005

Hamstead and Highgate Express

editorial@hamhigh.co.uk

22 July 2005

LIB DEM politicians in Child's Hill have joined the fight against plans to put up a phone mast near a children's playground.

Barnet councillors Monroe and Susette Palmer have written to mobile company LCC UK urging them to withdraw plans for the mast on Hendon Way.

Mr Palmer said: "This mast would be on the fence of Basing Hill Park, where there is a children's playground that is very well used and a sports school, also well used.

"The mast will be unsightly, it will undoubtedly be covered with graffiti and it will reduce the width of footway the path to Wessex Gardens School.