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Phone mast row reaches Commons

1:24pm Wednesday 17th October 2007

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A ROW over a phone mast put up without permission has reached the House of Commons.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears said her department would the issues surrounding the mast in Market Street, Little Lever, after they were raised by Bolton South-east MP Dr Brian Iddon.

The mast was put up by T-Mobile last month, despite being refused permission by Bolton Council's planning committee in April. That sparked an angry protest by residents but the firm has refused the council's call for the mast to be ripped down.

During a parliamentary question session, Dr Iddon asked Salford MP Ms Blears: "What does my right honourable friend have to say to the angry residents of Little Lever, who found that T-Mobile turned up early one Sunday morning and erected the mast without planning permission?

"Should not firms like that be fined for their absolute arrogance?"

Ms Blears replied that the issue was one of "importance" to communities.

"It is vital that the companies involved are sensitive to the needs of local people, conduct their business in a proper way with integrity, and consult the local community," she said.

"If in the instance that the honourable gentleman mentions, local views have simply been ignored and trampled on, clearly that is a matter that we will want to look into, because the basis of the system is trust and confidence.

"Where that is lacking, decisions will not have the support of the constituency."

Dr Iddon welcomed Ms Blears' response but admitted that any probe by her department may have to wait if T-Mobile fails to remove the mast by a November 1 deadline, triggering an independent public inquiry.

Dr Iddon said: "This really is something that needs looking into at a high level. It is not the first time a company has done this."

A petition objecting to the mast has now attracted more than 900 signatures, while another on the Little Lever website now has 195.

The council's planning committee refused permission for the mast because of its visual impact and the absence of a certificate showing it met emissions guidelines.

T-Mobile claims it sent the certificate and that the council failed to notify the company of its decision within the required 56 days of plans being submitted. The council denies this.


Your Say YourThe Bolton News

Mrs JB, www.littlelever.info says...
1:40pm Wed 17 Oct 07

If you want to help the residents of Little Lever in their fight against T-Mobile please sign the petition at www.littlelever.info


Thanks

Gloria, Bolton says...
2:18pm Wed 17 Oct 07

said her department would the issues surrounding the mast in Market Street, Little Lever, after they were raised by Bolton South-east MP Dr Brian Iddon.


PARDON???

gazz_ball - Supera Moras!, bolton says...
2:52pm Wed 17 Oct 07

"A ROW over a phone mast put up without permission has reached the House of Commons"

This is because of the excellent reception now in Little Lever, able to reach further.

Phil, Bolton says...
3:13pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Bolton council.
Pull it down.
End of story.

Phil, Bolton says...
3:13pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Bolton council.
Pull it down.
End of story.

gazz_ball - Supera Moras!, bolton says...
3:23pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Breaking news, Little Lever churches have hit a record high in bookings for weddings.


Apparently the services aren't so good but the reception is excellent.



ozzycolin, bolton says...
3:27pm Wed 17 Oct 07

why not put all phone masts up winter hill out of the way

gazz_ball - Supera Moras!, bolton says...
3:32pm Wed 17 Oct 07

ozzycolin wrote:
why not put all phone masts up winter hill out of the way
because they only have limited range

John E, Bristol says...
3:39pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Over 1000 independent studies, linking phone masts electro magnetic radiation with serious ill health including cancer, confirm that phone masts should not be sited within 350 metres of schools or housing. Numerous studies have proved that melatonin, the cancer fighting hormone, is suppressed by this pulsing radiation. That's why the cancer clusters continue to increase in the vicinity of phone masts. Phone operators dismiss such research, alleging that their own studies suggests no health risk. However recently the national press revealed that T-Mobile covered up the damaging results of their own research. The Ecolog Institute, a research organisation which examines the health effects of mobile phones, was commissioned by T-Mobile to investigate the possible health risks of mobile phone masts. The 2003 Ecolog report confirmed:

'Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer. This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system.'


The idea that unelected bodies (the mobile phone companies) have a right to expose people to the very real harm caused by phone mast electro magnetic radiation, amounts to enrolling the population in a giant biological experiment without their consent. Considering that children, the most vulnerable of all, are included in this experiment, it is shameful that their interests are disregarded so cynically in the pursuit of profit.

SDensley, London says...
3:49pm Wed 17 Oct 07

To help us all please also sign the national petition: http://petitions.pm.
gov.uk/PhoneMasts/

Sun Tzu, Bolton says...
4:13pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Why is it that Bolton Council are so powerless to act, in this situation where a private company has erected an illegal installation on publicly owned land. Yet if we leave our wheelie bins out on the wrong day or drop a fag end in the road, they enforce the law as if you were commiting genocide.

Bolton Council - Rip the mast down, and send T-Mobile the bill for doing it. If they dont pay then set the bailiffs on them, same as you do with poor people who struggle to pay your inflated wages ie council tax.

SDensley, London says...
4:54pm Wed 17 Oct 07

I am sickened by gazz_ball - Supera Moras's flippant attitude which makes a mockery of the published research demonstrates the links between this radiation and adverse health effects. I have recently reviewed a huge amount of scientific research on this subject. There are hundreds of peer reviewed published studies which I been going through and study after study concludes that mobile phone radiation does affect our biology. Some show it increases headaches, others shows how it damages cellular function or DNA or causes tumours, etc. Over half show results that link this radiation to ill health of some sort and even some of the ones that do not find health problems specifically say that major health problems could still come to light in years to come. 83% of epidemiological studies have found an increase in ill health amongst people or animals living near phone masts. The industry is hell bent of burying and discrediting this evidence. This “gazz_ball - Supera Moras” person does sound exactly like a phone industry PR employee.

neil, l/lever says...
5:38pm Wed 17 Oct 07

hornby not available for his daily comment or is it move over little boy the big boys are on the case now

dear anti yobs, breightmet says...
7:01pm Wed 17 Oct 07

well wheres cllr woodward now in her little corner again i assume no surprise their then

neil, l/lever says...
8:25pm Wed 17 Oct 07

Councillor Sean Hornby wrote:
Councillor Hornby did speak with the Bolton News about this and Dr Brian Iddon MP spoke with me immediately after his question was asked in the House of Commons. Let me make it clear I am not against telephone masts it would be hypocritical of me to be so using a mobile phone myself. What I am against is its present location which is in the centre of Little Lever next to the bus stop and opposite the Public Library and War Memorial. That was the reason I personally voted against this application. T Mobile has no regard what so ever for the Planning Committee nor the Council and this is why we issued an enforcement notice to T Mobile. T Mobile representative has been very insulting in telephone calls and emails to myself as Chairman of the Planning Committee and to Mr Howard Barritt the head of Planning of which T Mobiles Regional Manager has already sent me a written apology. Since this the contractor from T Mobile has also sent a written apology. Proof if needed that their professionalism wasn’t as it should have been. The apology can be viewed on the Little Lever Web Site www.littlelever.info along with many other issues concerning Little Lever and Darcy Lever. Readers can also sign the online petition against the mast. I understand the frustration that residents have, and understand why they think we as a Council should just pull it down, but two wrongs do not make a right and the Council has to be seen to be acting within the law. With reference to Neil’s comments it’s nice to see he has missed me in the paper. Councillor Sean Hornby Chairman of Planning & Highways Bolton Council
not that i'd missed you just amazed you didn't get your name in print again

william gallagher, says...
9:31pm Wed 17 Oct 07

neil wrote:
dear anti yobs wrote: well wheres cllr woodward now in her little corner again i assume no surprise their then
what about connell don't leave him out. he never has much too say and he's the most senior councillor out of the 3
what r u on about he was there from the start you idiotjust check out the stories on thisi think your barking up the wrong tree with this one marys little army on line i see

don060541, devon says...
7:30am Thu 18 Oct 07

guns knives drugs alchol abuse cigs how many more can you name and all this about a poxy phone mast.
Get in the real world and sort the above things they kill far more than a phone mast.
Maybe if kids did not use them as much it would not be a problem.
I agree on the one about trying to climb the ladder for these pepole thats the only way they will get noticed.
Give me a party that will kick the human rights law give pedos what they deserve and sort out crime and they will get in power tomorrow.
Or simple ban mobile phones like they are trying to do with everything else gov bunch of tos pots

gazz_ball - Supera Moras!, bolton says...
9:31am Thu 18 Oct 07

SDensley wrote:
I am sickened by gazz_ball - Supera Moras's flippant attitude which makes a mockery of the published research demonstrates the links between this radiation and adverse health effects. I have recently reviewed a huge amount of scientific research on this subject. There are hundreds of peer reviewed published studies which I been going through and study after study concludes that mobile phone radiation does affect our biology. Some show it increases headaches, others shows how it damages cellular function or DNA or causes tumours, etc. Over half show results that link this radiation to ill health of some sort and even some of the ones that do not find health problems specifically say that major health problems could still come to light in years to come. 83% of epidemiological studies have found an increase in ill health amongst people or animals living near phone masts. The industry is hell bent of burying and discrediting this evidence. This “gazz_ball - Supera Moras” person does sound exactly like a phone industry PR employee.
What? someone's had a sense of humour bypass.

Maybe these masts affect that also.

I was going to sign your petty petition your your attitude is pretty poor. I feel that you have been getting the wrong `signals` from me

barclayc, preston says...
3:20pm Thu 18 Oct 07

fine words as usual from cllr hornby but there has to be another side to this story, so surely if it does transpire that bolton council are guilty of a "**** up" he as the person with ultimate responsibility must resign??

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