More masts for council offices
FUTURE phone masts in Stoke-on-Trent should be installed on council property and away from schools to limit potential health risks, according to a council committee.
Members of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's health overview and scrutiny committee have spent the last year assessing claims that emissions of radiation from mobile phone equipment pose a health hazard.
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Although the group's report fails to uncover any direct evidence linking the masts to cancers or other illnesses, the panel has urged the council to take more precautions when handling planning applications.
The report said: "The task group, given the evidence-based information it has received, concluded that there is no general proven risk to health, but accepts that a precautionary approach to the siting of base stations should be taken until research tells us that they are safe or unsafe.
"The city council should maximise its limited influence [over] the location of masts and sites by having them sited on council-owned land and buildings."
The panel also called for residents and ward councillors to be given more information about plans for new masts in their areas.
The report cites concerns raised by residents living in the Shooters Hill area of Meir about a large mast near their homes which they claim has caused at least a dozen deaths through cancers and brain haemorrhages in recent years.
The councillors concluded that while there was no reliable evidence to support the residents' claims, the council should not ignore the public alarm caused by phone masts and the possible impact of these fears on people's health.
It said: "Masts can be imposing and possibly frightening structures. It therefore is entirely understandable that some communities are upset by their presence.
"People's feelings are real and many politicians feel the planning laws need to accommodate the fears people have."
Shooters Hill resident Jenny Mansell said she was disappointed that the report did not support campaigners' views on the Orange mast in their area.
The 59-year-old, of Grangewood Avenue, said: "It has taken the councillors almost a year to finish their report and it doesn't really say anything new. It's all right saying they should put masts on council land and away from children, but I want to know whether the planners will actually implement that."
Fellow campaigner Jean Hopkins, of Cherrywood Grove, said: "I am quite angry with the report because it contains a number of inaccuracies about the Shooters Hill mast.
"It doesn't help us at all and the precautions about siting masts away from schools should have been done a long time ago."
The report will be discussed at Thursday's health overview and scrutiny committee meeting.
Task and finish group chairman councillor Alby Walker, pictured, said he was aware of the residents' concerns and would be inviting them to the meeting.
He said: "At the moment, it is just a draft report which will be discussed by the committee before it is finalised and presented to the cabinet.
"The report itself had to be based on evidence, but when I add my own comments they will reflect the public concerns that exist about phone masts."
9 Comments
by Mrs. G Lyden, Kensworth LU6 2PH
Tuesday, June 23 2009, 11:52AM
“Ican only guess who is telling Stoke-on Trent Council that there is 'no proof' of the danger to health from non-ionising(microwave!) radiation from masts and phones -could it be the HPA's Centre for Radiation etc? Masses of information date from 1927 and before are available on the Internet. BUT - the main evidence is in the symptoms exp'd inassociation with activation of masts near homes. Insomnia, headache nausea vertigo earache tinnitus nosebleeds raised blood pressure strokes cancer etc etc. I've studied this for 7 years since friends became ill on activation of an Orange mast 14 m away! Wi-Fi is the worst aspect of microwaves -very bad for children as well as adults. In schools it is an illegal experiment upon uninformed people of all ages. I can send you information if you wish. Sincerely,
Gill Lyden”
by Andrew Woodvine, Talke Pits
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:48PM
“@JE, Bristol "80% of WHO research proves that this technology is not safe."
What is your source?
In fact, WHO state:
"Current scientific evidence indicates that exposure to RF fields, such as those emitted by mobile phones and their base stations, is unlikely to induce or promote cancers."
Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/”
by Gwendolen, Trentham
Monday, June 22 2009, 1:52PM
“My "offensive" comments were about the abysmal moderation. lol.
Also interesting is the fact the moderator didn't read what I said about them failing to moderate correclty in a previous comment. A copy of the comment which violates his/her sense of jobsworthiness so much is still there for everybody to see.”
by Gwendolen, Trentham
Monday, June 22 2009, 1:51PM
“My "offensive" comments were about the abysmal moderation. lol.
Also interesting is the fact the moderator didn't read what I said about them failing to moderate correclty in a previous comment. A copy of the comment which violates his/her sense of jobsworthiness so much is still there for everybody to see.”
by Gwendolen, Trentham
Monday, June 22 2009, 11:03AM
“JE of Bristol is making up statistics on the spot.
Also, the moderator just did an abysmal job of editing out a web address. It's still there. lol.
(This comment has been cut because parts of it were offensive - moderator)”
by Eileen, West Midlands
Monday, June 22 2009, 10:02AM
“I would recommend the Council ensure that the mobile phone companies indemnify them from any future court actions that may result from the current situation whereby mobile phone masts are located on buildings and government-controlled land.
The public deserve protection and look towards people in authority especially our elected official¿s to protect public health. However, history has shown that time and time again nothing is done until compelled to take action by the courts. A recent legal Judgment has been taken in Belgium banning the installation of a 28-metre phone mast in Drongen. In its judgement, the court recalled a decision taken by a justice of Peace in 2000, who declared: ¿As long as it has not been scientifically proven that radiation is without danger, it should be considered that it is probably dangerous.¿ Go to the Radiation Research Trust website to view further judgements.
The time has come for the Governments, regulators and health agencies to engage with the public, doctors and scientists voicing precaution approach such as the Bioinitiative team amongst many others and
hopefully find a safer way forward together.
I recommend you download the new Rewire.Me eMagazine which is available on the front page of the Radiation Research Trust website.
Kind Regards,
Eileen O'Connor
Director
Radiation Research Trust
*This comment has been edited as website addresses are not published. Moderator.”
by Eileen, West Midlands
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:59AM
“I would recommend the Council ensure that the mobile phone companies indemnify them from any future court actions that may result from the current situation whereby mobile phone masts are located on buildings and government-controlled land.
The public deserve protection and look towards people in authority especially our elected official¿s to protect public health. However, history has shown that time and time again nothing is done until compelled to take action by the courts. A recent legal Judgment has been taken in Belgium banning the installation of a 28-metre phone mast in Drongen. In its judgement, the court recalled a decision taken by a justice of Peace in 2000, who declared: ¿As long as it has not been scientifically proven that radiation is without danger, it should be considered that it is probably dangerous.¿ Go to the Radiation Research Trust website to view further judgements: http://www.radiationresearch.org/legal.asp
The time has come for the Governments, regulators and health agencies to engage with the public, doctors and scientists voicing precaution approach such as the Bioinitiative team amongst many others and
hopefully find a safer way forward together.
I recommend you download the new Rewire.Me eMagazine which is available on the front page of the Radiation Research Trust website.
Kind Regards,
Eileen O'Connor
Director
Radiation Research Trust
http://www.radiationresearch.org
http://www.rewire.me”
by Darren, Stone
Monday, June 22 2009, 9:35AM
“Research has also shown that the effects of these masts are less than the effect of using a handset.
And how many children now own or use mobile phones?”
by JE, Bristol
Monday, June 22 2009, 8:50AM
“The Council obviously didn't try very hard to uncover evidence of the health risks. 80% of WHO research proves that this technology is not safe. Over 2000 independent studies, linking phone mast 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 suggest no health risk. However last year the national press revealed that a phone operator 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 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.'
I pity the council employees having to work in buldings whith phone masts bombarding them with harmful electro magnetic radiation.”