Man's mobile phone mast fight

31 August 2005

A CAMPAIGNER who has fought off plans for four masts near his home has said phone companies are using his street as a "dumping ground".

Alf Brown is furious that seven masts have already been installed along Valence Avenue, as revealed in the POST last week.

Families fear the masts pose a health risk and many are close to Valence Infants and Junior Schools.

Two phone companies have recently applied for permission to install masts in the road.

Hundreds of people from Valence Avenue joined forces by signing petitions or sending letters to the council, condemning the plans.

Eventually the Development Control Board decided to refuse the applications from Orange and MM02. The companies had tried to get masts installed on the central reservation in Valence Avenue, one outside 556 and one opposite 421.

Both were rejected by councillors because they would be unsightly and were "perceived by residents as having an unacceptable health risk" because the sites are near homes and two schools.

Mr Brown is also angry the system allows companies to reapply for permission to install masts after they have been turned down.

He said: "If they have been refused a mast because it would be unsightly and residents fear for their health, it will not change by applying a second time.

"Nothing stops them so they will keep applying, and the planning officers have told me there is nothing they can do. It makes a mockery of the whole system. These masts are a health issue because they are on 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and we already have seven of them there.

"Our road seems to have become a dumping ground for masts, but enough is enough because we cannot have anymore.

"I have appealed against most of the recent applications, and they have all been refused.

"I don't know if they are trying to wear us down so we give up our protests, but I am not planning to drop my campaign and I will fight them all the way.