news story

9th March 2007

MP Calls in Telecoms Company for Talks on Mast next to School

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Northavon MP Steve Webb has called in senior executives from telephone company O2 to his Westminster office on Wednesday (14th March) to protest at the company's plans to site a mobile phone mast next to a primary school at Winterbourne.

An application has been made on behalf of the company to site a mast at the BT telephone exchange in Nicholls Lane, Winterbourne, right next to Elm Park Primary School and the adjacent pre-school. Local parents and residents are outraged at the choice of site and have been joined by Steve Webb and Emma Bone, Lib Dem candidate for Filton & Bradley Stoke, as well as local councillors, in opposing the plans.

Now the MP is to host a meeting with the company which will be attended by representatives of the school and of the campaign against the mast.

Emma Bone, who attended the recent parents meeting at the school to discuss the issue, said:

"This is a totally unsuitable location for this mast. Whilst many people use mobile phones and recognise the need for masts, they must be sensitively located. Putting a mast right next to a primary school is quite wrong".

Steve Webb said:

"Part of the problem is that the planning system is very weak when it comes to mobile phone masts. Even if councillors reject an application, a mobile phone operator can often appeal and get that decision overturned.

"I want to see the planning system for masts greatly strengthened so that local communities have much more say over where masts are sited. Until that happens, we have to find other ways to protest. This meeting is designed to highlight to O2 just how unpopular this proposed mast will be and to get them to think again".

The MP added that he has been running an online petition on his website calling for tighter planning rules on new masts, and that several hundred local people had already added their name.

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