Simon McGee
Political Editor

EXTRA safeguards for schools, homes, and hospitals near mobile telephone masts, proposed in a Yorkshire backbencher's private Bill, are finally set to be discussed.

Skipton and Ripon MP David Curry has confirmed his Telecommunication Masts Bill, which he hopes will put renewed pressure on the Government to give the public additional protection, will have its second reading in the Commons in March,

It calls for mobile phone companies to carry out full health checks on every new mast and make the potential harm from electromagnetic radiation a key feature in the consideration of planning applications.
Campaigners and residents' groups are hoping it will be third time lucky for Mr Curry's Bill, which was put before the Commons as Private Members' Bills twice before but was unable to even get debated on the floor of the House.

Mr Curry, a former Tory Local Government Minister, himself admitted that without the support of Ministers – which it does not have – the Bill will not get enough Parliamentary time to stand a chance of becoming law, but he insisted it was still worth raising.
It has gained support from protest groups and some members, including Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis.

"The Government is clearly not in support of this bill," Mr Curry said. "But that doesn't mean it's wasted. What we're really trying to do is put the issue on the table again and try to coax the Government into a sensible discussion.

"No one is out to demolish the mobile phone industry, we just want some safeguards."

Masts campaigning group Planning Sanity's director Chris Maile said: "This bill will do much to even the playing field in order that local residents forced to live with the consequences of telecoms developments will have a better say in the permission process. That can only be for the general good of the country."

On the announcement of a day being named for the second reading, he added: "This is important because we now know with certainty that the bill does have a place in the parliamentary agenda."

A spokesman for Mast Sanity, a branch of the Planning Sanity group, added: "It has long been our view that a marked imbalance exists in planning law between the commercial interests of the mobile phone operators and the public's genuinely held fear of health risks associated with emissions from masts situated close to residential properties, schools, nurseries and the like."

19 January 2006
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1318914

By Justin Dunn

The Wirral Globe 18.01.06

A MASS protest has been held outside a church which still has a mobile phone mast hidden in its belltower.

Scores of people descended on Manor Church Centre in Wallasey on Sunday as services took place inside.

The protestors - made up of local residents, politicians from both Labour and the Conservatives, and local schoolchildren and their parents - are furious that mobile giant Orange was allowed to bypass normal planning laws to install a mast in the church using an "ecclesiastical exemption" loophole.

The church itself - initially supportive of the mast because it receives £6,000 a year from the company - now wants it removed.

It even took the dramatic step of changing the locks so that Orange could not gain access to its own equipment. But when lawyers stepped in they were forced to allow the firm back inside the bulding.

The mast - installed to help transmission of new so-called 3G technology - has not yet been switched on.

And local campaigner Dr Tom Bolton told the Globe: "We will fight on and on to make sure it never is turned on.

"It beggars belief that the thing was ever installed in the first place and Orange simply has to remove it.

"The church has a children's day centre just yards away from the transmitter and we can only imagine what harm that could do if it was ever actually activated.

"We are not going to go away on this - everybody is in it for the long haul."

The protest attracted interest from Granada TV, who included it in their weekend news bulletins.

Ofcom are in planning to auction off the spectrum of 1785 - 1805 MHz. The consultation about this is still running. Shouldn't we make a representation about the health risk? Is anyone aware of any studies about this frequency having been done? (we could approach Ecolog to check their database) The licence will allow any use, at really high output. I think we need to make a point about the precautionary principle.

Best, Andrea

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/availspec/

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Here is the PDF document of the Draft Annual Plan of OFCOM
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/ofcom_annual_plan_2006.pdf and my comments to it:
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/ofcom_annual_plan_comments.doc

Please forward it to the Mastsanity email group. Hopefully others will take this matter up too and send their own comments to OFCOM. the consultation closes on February 10. There is another consultation running specifically on the auctioning of licences for yet unused UHF frequencies. Maybe someone more technically versed than myself can take this up and send their comments with regards to that. That consultation runs until the beginning of March.

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If anyone lives near the following locations and can attend one of OFCOM's annual plan consultation events it would be good. Unfortunately we missed the London one as we didn't find out in time.

18th Jan Plymouth and Belfast

19th Jan Londonderry and Dumfries

20th Jan Glasgow and Cardiff

26th Jan Liverpool

3rd Feb Caernarfon


http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/annual_plan2006/annual_plan200607/invite

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I suppose the point is that we should ask OFCOM to halt any further sell off of any frequencies and the roll out of digital TV until, roll out of WIFI, etc the health issue is properly investigated.

Perhaps we should get a UK wide petition on it?

sarah

Does anyone want to send questions to You and Yours who are looking into the analogue TV switch off question.

I am sure the new signals will be pulsed microwaves! Operated by Crown Castle!

We need to put the health issue on their agenda.

They are taking e-mails forward to the minister they said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/

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The frequency band 1785-1805 MHz is a GSM channel. Please see link http://www.ero.dk/rtte

Regards. Agnes

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For info. We've been liaising.

----- Original Message -----
From: Derek Budd
To: David Baron
Cc: Sianmeredith1
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 12:06 PM
Subject: Vehicles immobilised by Telecommunication Masts

Drivers beware!

Please forward to motorists that may have similar “Thatcham approved Car security systems”.

http://tinyurl.com/ctysd

I have featured in the BBC TV & Radio news this week, as well as similar newspaper articles. I could be faced with a bill for up to £600 and naturally intend to fight my corner. Letters have been forwarded to the Motor Manufacturers Association, Mobile Phone Operators Association, OFCOM etc.

Please add your voice to the campaign!


Kind Regards

Derek

Hertfordshire Mercury

A NURSERY in Ware has vowed to fight plans to erect a mobile phone mast near its premises because bosses fear it may pose a health risk to the children.

Staff and parents at the Angels at Play nursery in Church Street have started a petition against the proposed 3G mast and have called on residents and schools to support them.

Angela Spencer, managing director of the playgroup, received a letter from Hutchison Tel.comlast week stating that a 41ft (12.50m) mast may be erected within a new lamppost in Baldock Street.

"This is a ridiculous thing to take a risk with," blasted Mrs Spencer. "A mast should not be located somewhere so close to people living and working, let alone nursery facilities.

"It's up to them to prove that masts don't pose any health risk, rather than for us to prove that they do — at the moment there's no definite proof either way. I don't want to be the person who says, 'There's the proof — a child who's ill'.

Omega there's definite proof. See under:
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Wissenschaft+zu+Mobilfunk/
http://omega.twoday.net/search?q=Cancer+Cluster
http://www.buergerwelle.de/body_science.html

"Some of our parents and staff feel very strongly about this. We must stand together for the benefit of all our children, because they cannot speak for themselves."

Last January, Sir William Stewart, the man the Government charged to investigate the safety of mobile phones, published his second controversial report about the health risks of mobile phone emissions. He admitted that he would not put base stations near schools and called for a review of planning laws in relation to masts.

Mrs Spencer has begun to alert local schools, including Chauncy and St Catherine's in Park Road and Stepping Stones nursery in Crib Street, as well as local businesses to the plans.

In addition to standard mobile features, 3G mobiles can send and receive video clips. Emissions from 3G masts are of much higher frequency than for standard phone masts.

Geregh Coombes-Olney is an independent spokesman for Ericsson on health, planning and law issues to do with mobile masts and is employed as part of the Hutchison consultation.

He said: "The whole point of the consultation is to find out what concerns people have and try to allay those fears.

"This is a very early stage and they have looked at lots of potential sites.

"Anyone who would like to discuss the issues, both for and against, is welcome to contact me directly."

East Herts Council said this week that it had not yet received a planning application for a mast.

l If you have concerns about the mast, contact Mr Coombes-Olney on 07782 328254.

South Tyneside Today

13.01.06

COUNCILLORS are objecting to plans to site an "imposing" mobile phone mast in their South Shields ward.

Hutchinson 3G UK, which trades as 3, wants to build a 12.5m pole in the north east corner of Horsley Hill Square.

The company, a new entrant in the mobile market, is building up its video mobile (3G) network and wants to provide coverage to the Horsley Hill area.

A number of sites were considered before the preferred option was put to planners at South Tyneside Council.

Couns Iain Malcolm and Arthur Meeks are objecting to the plans on the basis of its location.

They are also concerned about the number of masts already in the ward.

Coun Malcolm, deputy leader of the council, said: "It is less than eight months since a request to put up mobile phone support apparatus within the Horsley Hill ward.

"I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the number of requests for mobile phone masts in my ward and the East Shields area."

He added that although he does not personally oppose mobile phone masts on health grounds, the concerns of residents have to be taken into account.

"I believe that less obtrusive sites can be found, taking into account constituents' feelings about the siting of such equipment," he said.
Hutchinson 3G said it had considered and rejected other sites, including Holy Rosary Church, Horsley Hill Community Centre, Cheviot Court and the TA Centre.

In a letter to councillors, regional community affairs manager Michael Alexander said site sharing was investigated, but discounted for a variety of reasons.

He added: "It will be seen in the same context as the existing street lighting columns that are currently present at the roundabout and also the CCTV camera pole that the proposed installation is within proximity to and shares similar attributes.

"The location of the site is within a predominantly commercial area, as far from residential areas and schools as possible, while still being able to provide the minimum coverage requirements for the area."

Coun Malcolm rejected the claim that it is a non-residential area, and said he would be happy to accompany Mr Alexander on a site visit.

Bath Chronicle

BY LAURA MATLESS

11:00 - 13 January 2006

Worried campaigners packed into a public meeting to hear about some of the possible health effects from mobile phone masts. Residents living near St Mary's Church in Bathwick are concerned about potential radiation from a mast that could be erected on top of the church tower.

Around 90 people attended the meeting on Wednesday night to hear Professor Alan Preece, from Bristol University, who has carried out research in electromagnetic radiation and cancer, and John O'Brien, who campaigns nationally against masts.

Planning permission has already been granted for the mast, which would be disguised as a flagpole.

Church leaders have given their support to the idea, which it is believed could generate thousands of pounds in rent every year.

Under current Government guidelines, councils are not allowed to turn down mobile phone mast applications on health grounds.

But Prof Preece said: "I think we should be cautious because the evidence is not there either way.

"I think we have got enough masts already.

"Why we need 3G, so people can download things from the internet on to their phones, I don't know."

He said that the idea of masts made people concerned, and that some of the symptoms people reported after antennae were erected could be down to their worries.

"If people have the perception that there's a problem, then there's anxiety, which has a stress effect," he said.

Mr O'Brien, whose campaign focuses on Tetra, the police communications system told the meeting that the possible health effects of the masts were not brought on by people's worries.

"When the mobile people say there is no evidence to link mobile phone radiation and harm, they are wrong," he said.

"Everybody is doing everything they can to deny people that information."

Under plans outlined by Vodafone, the mast would be disguised as a six-inch wide flagpole, projecting more than 30ft above the tower of the Grade II listed church.

Mark Macdonald, who is leading the Bathwick campaign, said in a letter to residents: "Read any of the studies carried out, and you may find yourself extremely anxious about what this mast's electromagnetic radiation beam may mean to you and your family's health."

Lincolnshire Echo

09:30 - 13 January 2006

Residents are celebrating a partial success in a campaign to stop mobile phone masts being built near their homes.

Mobile phone operator O2 has announced that its plans to put up a new mast in Birchwood Avenue, Lincoln, have been withdrawn.

Residents say the decision due to pressure from them to stop the mast being built near their children.

But this is only one step in the fight, as two further applications for masts just up the road are still in the pipeline.

Birchwood area Lincoln city councillor Steve Allnut said it was a triumph for local democracy.

"We do realise that O2 have a weak reception in Birchwood and Doddington Park and need to place a new phone mast in the area, but we were opposed to that being right in the middle of the residential area," he said.

"When we heard they had applied for a mast on Birchwood Avenue, opposite Aldergrove Crescent, residents used their powers to oppose the plans by writing letters of opposition.

"Clearly that has worked and we are very pleased. We are now suggesting other options to them."

But both O2 and Hutchinson 3G have put in appeals against recent decisions to refuse planning permission for mobile phone masts in the bus turning circle in Birchwood Avenue.

The results of these appeals are yet to be announced.

Volunteer co-ordinator at Birchwood Access and Training Centre, Tracey Skinner, said she didn't know why more masts were needed in the area.

"I know people were very concerned about having another mast near to their homes when there are already a few in this area, so I'm glad about the result," she said.

O2 regional communications manager Ann McCracken said they had withdrawn one application to site a mast in the street.

"We had been looking at our options for a mast in the area and had submitted a planning application for a mast in the street, but we withdrew this application in December," she said.

"In the meantime, we have lodged an appeal against the decision not to grant planning permission for the mast in the turning circle."

Hutchinson 3G spokesman Brian Spooner said: "Our application for a mast in Birchwood Avenue was turned down by the local authority.

"We are now investigating the situation in Birchwood Avenue and will inform residents if we do decide to put in another application or to appeal."