Lib Dem councillors in Alexandra ward have expressed their anger and dismay at street works carried out this weekend to install a mobile phone mast at the Albert Road and Durnsford Road park site.

The move comes despite a verbal and written assurance from Vodafone (LCC UK) that they would not progress their application to install a mobile base station and mast on the site until a round table consultation meeting has been held between local residents, Haringey Council and Vodafone.

Despite these assurances, local councillor and Lib Dem Deputy Leader Wayne Hoban uncovered a BT works team early on Saturday morning, which had arrived to dig up the road on behalf of Vodafone. Cllr Hoban has called the move outrageous and an abuse of local residents’ rights to be consulted on the controversial mast proposal.

Cllr Hoban visited the site on Saturday morning, following a tip-off from a local residents informing him that a BT team were digging up Durnsford Road at the site of proposed Vodafone mobile mast and base station. Having asked the BT team foreman to show his instructions, it was clear from the sheet plan that they were installing a cable to supply a ‘Vodafone Base Station’.

Cllr Hoban comments:

“Local residents will be outraged about the cynical way in which yet another mobile phone company seems to be pressing ahead with plans to install a phone mast without consultation.

“I am contacting council officers to seek guidance as to whether the works are legal, given that it would appear that the Council has not been notified as required.

“We will also be asking Vodafone to ensure that all associated works are stopped immediately until the legality of these works can be established.”