Phone mast sparks fury (From Dudley News)

Phone mast sparks fury

3:17pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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FURIOUS businesses, shoppers and councillors in Lower Gornal have said it would be “absolutely horrific” if another phone mast was put up in the village.

Mobile phone company O2 have submitted plans to Dudley Council proposing to build a 12.5 pole and a radio base station in the middle of the Abbey Road roundabout in the centre of the village - just a few hundred yards away from another mast.

However local resident and Gornal councillor Anne Millward said the proposed location would “impair the visibility of drivers and pedastrians”.

Protestors have handed in a petition to Dudley Council planning department containing hundreds of signatures from worried residents.

Cllr Millward said: “I am not being NIMBYish but the fact is we have a huge pole already outside Dudley Building Society, just a few yards away from the proposed mast.

“I thought the initial plan was to share masts so I don’t understand why we need another one in this terrible position - it will be slap bang in the middle of the roundabout.

“I have also heard there have been tentative enquiries for a third mast - three in a very small triangle.

“I understand there are more people with mobile phones, so I understand the need for more masts but this would be absolutely horrific.

“There are schools, businesses and nurseries nearby and i’m concerned about residents health.

“In planning you cannot use emmissions as a fact of refusal for a phone mast as there has been no proven evidence - however we have just had CCTV installed in Gornal and when the workers came to put it up they had to wait until the phone mast company had turned off the nearby mast. Because of health and safety they weren’t allowed to work near it while it was on because of the emissions.

“If they couldn’t work while it was on, i’m really concerned about the resident’s health - there are schools, businesses and nurseries nearby.”

O2 was unavailable to comment.

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