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Phone-mast campaigners hoping for sites action
Brian Dooks CAMPAIGNERS hope the Government will restrict the siting of mobile phone masts near children and other vulnerable groups, in a nationally important ruling.
Hopes rose of a tougher precautionary policy after an announcement in the House of Lords yesterday that the Minister for Housing, Keith Hill, would make a statement later this week.
Such a move would be in line with the precautionary approach recommended by its scientific adviser, Sir William Stewart, in the wake of widespread concern about possible health risks.
A national test case was heard last month in the Court of Appeal over a proposed 82ft mast close to three schools in Harrogate, which would put 1,600 children within 425 yards of any harmful radiation.
Harrogate Council rejected the planning application by phone firms T-Mobile, Orange and Hutchinson 3G for a site in Claro Road near Granby High School, Woodfield County Primary School and St Robert's Roman Catholic Primary School.
That decision was upheld by a Government-appointed inspector when the companies appealed, so they took the argument to the High Court – which ruled that the inspector was wrong to take into account "perceived health concerns".
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott challenged the decision in the Court of Appeal, but Lord Justice Laws upheld the High Court ruling and said it was the Government's responsibility to decide what measures were necessary to protect public health.
In the House of Lords yesterday, Home Office spokesman Lord Bassam of Brighton yesterday told peers he agreed with the Court of Appeal ruling that it remained the responsibility of central Government to decide what measures were necessary to protect public health.
Tory Baroness Hanham asked if he was aware of the great concern felt by parents about the siting of mobile phone masts on or adjacent to schools, and asked: "What action will you take to enable local authorities to take account of health concerns, which they are not allowed to do at the moment?"
Lord Bassam replied: "We are very aware of the public concern about health matters and take those issues very seriously. I don't want to pre-empt Mr Hill's statement but obviously, like any parent, I would be very concerned about the siting of masts."
On the issue of planning authorities not being allowed to take health considerations into account when considering applications, he told Lady Hanham: "Basically, you are right. The local planning authority must deal with the facts of the planning issues in front of them but of course the planning process is often used to express other views."
Last night Peter Brooks of the Campus campaign group in Harrogate, which took a 2,000 signature petition to 10 Downing Street, welcomed the possibility that the Government might be about to tighten its planning policy.
He said: "We would very much hope that the precautionary approach is reinforced. At present there is no compete understanding by the scientists about this technology and that is why it is so important to have a precautionary approach to protect groups of vulnerable people, including children."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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