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Battle ahead over phone mast

9:00pm Monday 24th September 2007

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A MOBILE phone giant which erected a 40 foot mast refused planning permission by councillors has snubbed a request to rip down the structure.

A legal battle is looming between Bolton Council and T-Mobile over the mast at the Market Street precinct in Little Lever, which was levered into place on Sunday morning.

The move sparked fury among residents and workmen downed tools when police were called by local councillor Sean Hornby, who is also the council's planning committee chairman.

The committee had refused the mast permission in April and the authority says it will now take enforcement action to get the structure removed.

But T-Mobile is refusing to take down the mast, meaning the row is likely to go before a public inquiry chaired by a Government inspector where both sides will outline their case.

The company claims the council failed to follow guidelines by notifying it of the committee's decision within 56 days of the plans being submitted.

But Cllr Hornby said: "Their representatives attended the planning committee meeting to listen to the debate and also spoke," he said.

"The day after the meeting we faxed the committee's decision on the Market Street mast through to their agents and we have written evidence recording this.

"A decision letter was also posted to T-Mobile the day after the committee met.

"They were fully aware of our feelings in this matter and clearly knew the decision of the council but have been irresponsible in pressing ahead with erecting this mast."

At their meeting in April, councillors had raised fears over the possible health impact of the mast because a certificate showing it met radiation guidelines had not been produced.

They also said the visual impact of the mast would be unacceptable.

A T-Mobile spokesman said the firm had received a fax from the council but that it had referred to a decision to refuse another mast in Chorley Old Road considered at the same committee meeting.

He added that the company had only received notification of the decision 67 days after it put in the plans and insisted it had submitted a certificate showing emissions guidelines would be met.

"It's an administrative error by the council," he claimed. "We believe the mast is legal because this situation has been tested in courts throughout the country and this inquiry is going to cost the council a lot of money.

"The council's own planning officers had recommended approval of the mast and we had no response to our own consultation about the mast which involved the ward councillors, a nursery and a local school."

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Your Say YourThe Bolton News

Druid, says...
9:13pm Mon 24 Sep 07

Surely the Council has enough manpower and equipment to just tear this thing down. It doesn't have the planning permission to be there anyway.

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Chris N Amos, Darcy Lever and Overseas says...
9:16pm Mon 24 Sep 07

Again, second time today (what's up with me!!!) I am on the side of the council. The Council have made their decision and T -Mobile have completely disregarded it - thinking that through a so-called expensive gvt tribunal it will win a retro-permission!!! T-Mobile should be stopped and I am fully behined the council on whatever action they take against this German company!!! (oh and btw I am pro-EU but against big conglomerate bully companies such as the Banks and Telecom companies)

Formerly known as Amosc99.

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Councillor Sean Hornby, Bolton Council says...
10:02pm Mon 24 Sep 07

The reason no comment was made by Ward Councillors is because all three Coiuncillors sit on the Planning Committee and therfore do not comment in advance of the committee meeting. If we did we would be provented from speaking and voting in the committee meeting. So members of the committee only speak once the application has reached committee and after a decision has been taken.

Cllr Sean Hornby
Chairman of Planning Committee

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Eddie _ James, Bolton says...
10:24pm Mon 24 Sep 07

What a arrogant bunch T-Mobile really are riding rough-shod over the local residents an then ignoring Bolton Council. Words fail me. I only hope that they are told to take the whole thing down an then recompense everyone involved for the inconvienience.

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Mrs JB, www.littlelever.info says...
7:07am Tue 25 Sep 07

If you want to show your support for the people of Little Lever and help get this mast removed please sign the online petetion at

www.littlelever.info

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Nobby, from Nob End says...
7:34am Tue 25 Sep 07

Going back some years ago I remember comeone who died & his death was believed to be linked to electro-magnetic fields.Whilst I don't think it was ever proven conclusively who wants to risk it? It is no wonder the people of Little Lever do not want this mast especially if consultation was with a local school & nursery. This company is running rough-shod over everyone & must be made to remove it.

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neil, l/lever says...
8:11am Tue 25 Sep 07

how come it was only when the mast was being erected that it was brought to the council's attention. surely councillor's connell and woodward whom both live in little lever and i'm guessing go past coronation square everyday, must have seen the preparation work for the mast installation, so why didn't they report it to the bigwigs at the townhall.
t-mobile have too much money and if it comes too a court case BMC will back down.

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Councillor Sean Hornby, Bolton Council says...
9:08am Tue 25 Sep 07

The work was done at the weekend when it was impossible to contact officers of the council.

Cllr Connell and my self both attended the scène over the weekend when we were informed of what was happening.

Cllr Woodward is currently away on holiday and therefore unable to react to the situation and just for the records all three of us live in the ward of Little Lever and Darcy Lever.

With reference to the remedial work, I am informed that some remedial work started on Friday afternoon but until the weekend commenced no one new who it was working on the site. It could have been a number of agencies doing some form of work for example United Utilities, British Gas etc .

Questions have been asked and things need to be put in place to ensure this cannot happen anywhere else.

We cannot allow this company to get away with this and that is why the Council will take the necessary action against this company.

As per the comments from Mrs JB I would ask people to support us and sign the on line petition at www.littlelever.info this is something which can happen in any part of Bolton not just Little Lever.

T Mobile in my opinion have no regard what so ever for the views of the people of Little Lever, the views of its elected members nor the views of its Planning Committee of 21 Councillors elected and charged with making decisions on Planning issues in Bolton.

I as an elected member along with Cllrs Connell and Woodward fully supported the decision made in April 2007 and voted for refusal of the planning application and therefore will support legal action against T Mobile.

Councillor Sean Hornby
Little Lever & Darcy Lever Ward
Chairman of Planning and Highways Committee
Bolton Council


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neil, l/lever says...
9:29am Tue 25 Sep 07

if it was impossible to contact officers of the council how comes you councillor hornby got a phonecall? are you not a member of the council.

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Bob, bolton says...
9:47am Tue 25 Sep 07

Regardless of anything it is nice to see councillors actually communicating at last. keep it up

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bolton forum, www.boltonforum.co.u k says...
9:48am Tue 25 Sep 07

An officer of the council is someone employed by the council, ie someone who works in the planning department.

Cllrs Hornby, Connell and Woodward are members of the council, not council workers.

Contact numbers for all councillors are available on the BMBC website and are therefore contactable (to some extent) at all times. Council officers would only be contactable normally in office hours.

Sign the petition at www.littlelever.info

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OldBoltonian, says...
10:05am Tue 25 Sep 07

A little bit of self help is reuqired here I think - surelyh the COUncil ahs a few strapping lads on its books togeher with a couple of big diggers and an angle grinder or two...

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ot, bolton says...
11:08am Tue 25 Sep 07

OldBoltonian wrote:
A little bit of self help is reuqired here I think - surelyh the COUncil ahs a few strapping lads on its books togeher with a couple of big diggers and an angle grinder or two...
and then bill t-mobile for the works etc etc, its about time we fought back over companies that ride roughshod over the "common man"

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jadams, Bolton says...
12:18pm Tue 25 Sep 07

Well all i'm going to say was i thought work on the mast was supposed to be stopped councilor. Two blokes there right now working on it. As usuall nothing will be done about it council will sit back and do nothing. A bit like the camera that was put up in the village when the old lady was knocked down and unfortunatly died later. What happened then to the camera footage and any arrests. Nothing

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neil, l/lever says...
4:05pm Tue 25 Sep 07

just come past coronation square, workmen have gone block paving put back down and 40 ft mast and box still in place.as for councillor hornby's statement that all 3 councillors live in the ward of little lever and darcy lever, that may well be true but in my original post i stated that councillors connell and woodward both live in little lever no mention of councillor hornby, and last time i looked little lever and darcy lever where. in-fact 2 seperate villages

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Jacko, Little Lever says...
5:56pm Tue 25 Sep 07

Cllr Hornby ,do you ever notice anything for yourself?.Everything that happens in L/L has to be reported to you!,doesnt it ie;cctv removal/telephone mast etc etc.All this with the mast has made YOU look a fool once again!,head of planning what a joke.Ps have you noticed the old lorival site Hornby?,houses are being built did you know about that?.Your ever so important arent you!.

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Mrs JB, www.littlelever.info says...
9:29am Wed 26 Sep 07

Jacko what is your problem? This affects you as you live in Little Lever. It isn't Cllr Hornby's fault. Seriously if you haven't got anything nice to say why bother saying anything??

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jadams, Bolton says...
1:59pm Wed 26 Sep 07

Mrs JB. No offence but like a lot of people are saying these councillors seem to wlak round with blind folds on. They see nothing unless they want to see it. As for Cllr Hornby he liked it in Little Lever that much he moved to the new housing estate at Darcy Lever.Perhaps he funded this move from being a councillor .

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Jacko, Little Lever says...
7:41pm Wed 26 Sep 07

Mrs JB,I work for a living & pay a decent ammount of tax!.This pays the wages of people like our friendly cllr Hornby,so i expect him to do a good job!.We the tax payers do his job,by having to let him know whats going on in L/L!.

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marty111, bolton says...
1:36am Sat 6 Oct 07

Druid wrote:
Surely the Council has enough manpower and equipment to just tear this thing down. It doesn't have the planning permission to be there anyway.
they cant do that as that would be illegal
and they have to follow the propper channels maybe we should hire a digger and take the law into our own hands???

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