Whilst it is understood
that we all use mobile phones, concerns over health, implications
to house prices and visual impact to residential areas mean a proper
planning process should be followed.
| Moordown |
A
mast in Moordown (disguised as a flag pole) went up without
consultation on top of a pub. Its height (over 4 metres) above
the building means it should go through the full planning process
but to date residents have had to resort to a demonstration
to get their voices heard. |
| Queen's
Park |
A plans
for mast located a stone's throw from a pimary school was
refused but the mast was allowed to go up as the Council did
not inform the oporator (02) in the correct time period.
A second mast application (from Vodafone) has been allowed
in the same area even though this mast is even closer to the
school. Vodafone state that they offered to share a mast with
02 but were told not to.
|
| Littledown |
Another
mast 'appeared over night' on Christchurch road, again no proper
consultation took place. |
| Boscombe |
Top
prize however, goes to the Vodafone mast in Fisherman's Walk
which was refused planning permission. But a legal blunder in
the Town Hall meant the company were not properly informed.
The mast is now up in the middle of a conservation area. |
Tobias Ellwood
is calling for the Council to adobt similar measures passed by other
Councils, namely:
| 1 |
Make
mast sharing in Bournemouth obligatory |
| 2 |
Introduce
a policy of informing residents via the Council website of all
submitted plans for masts (and any progress made during the
planning stages) |
| 3 |
Allow
masts to be placed in designated areas on Council land (This
is currently prohibited. It would allow better control and generate
income for the Council) |
Parliamentary
Debate
Tobias Ellwood will be seeking amendments to a Private Members Bill
shortly to be debated in Parliament. The Bill gives more powers
to local authorities.
Tobias is asking for the Government to consider establishing one
national mobile phone mast network (there are presently five). As
with the invention of the telegraph, which also saw many systems
compete against each other, only to be combined into one network
used by all land lines today, Tobias believes one mast system shared
by all operators (as seen in other countries) would cut down the
number of masts needed by 80%.
Lib Dem foul
play
The subject of masts can be highly emotive but there was no need
for Lib Dem Cllr Sue Gravgaard to try and shift the focus
of a demonstration in Moordown (see picture) away from the Council
she sits on, by telling locals and journalists that the local MP
was against the Private Member's (Telecommunications) Bill.
There is much
to be applauded in the Bill, less so for the local Councillor who
should be a little more honest with her remarks.
|
