Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Wayne Hoban has expressed concern over proposals submitted by Vodafone to install a 12-metre high mobile phone mast on the public open land sited at the junction of Albert Road and Durnsford Road.

The application has been submitted only a few short months after local residents mounted a vigorous campaign opposing the installation of an O2 mobile phone mast on a nearby factory site in Albert Road. The campaign was ultimately unsuccessful because O2 did not require planning permission under current legislation.

Lib Dems say that many legitimate concerns remain over health risks associated with mobile phone masts. A report by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (The Stewart Report, 2000) found that it was not possible to state categorically that exposure to RF radiation is totally without risk, and that gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach to such installations. This application should therefore not proceed until local residents have been fully consulted and informed of all relevant technical details.

Cllr Wayne Hoban comments:

“Vodafone has approached local businesses seeking permission to install the mast on their premises, but all have refused to co-operate. This underlines just how controversial and unwanted these installations have become, particularly in residential areas. I have written to Vodafone asking them to reconsider their proposal.”