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Douglas Council welcomes scrapping of 'unacceptable' phone mast
United Kingdom	Created: 24 Jan 2022
Controversial plans for a phone mast in a conservation area would have had an unacceptable impact on the area, Douglas Council has said. The Environment Department this week supported an independent planning inspector's recommendation to throw out the application by telecoms firm Sure. The authority had lodged an appeal against the initial decision to approve the structure in July. Sure chief executive Mike Phillips said he was "disappointed" by the decision. The plans for a 15m (49ft) pole on an empty plot of land on Woodbourne Lane in Douglas drew an angry response from residents in the area when approved by planners. 'Sensitive and protected' Douglas councillor Falk Horning said the authority was "delighted" the appeal against that decision had been upheld. Mr Horning said: "While the Council understands the importance of a high quality mobile phone network, the proposal in this case would have had a completely unacceptable impact on the surrounding area. "The council considers that mobile network operators should be doing more to work together to share infrastructure so that it does not proliferate, particularly in sensitive and protected parts of the borough and the wider island." The inspector's report said the proposal would have caused significant harm to the character of the surrounding area, and the firm had failed to demonstrate a strategic national need for the development on that site. Sure previously said the permanent mobile antenna and supporting structure were needed as part of the firm's efforts to "future-proof the island's mobile technologies including 5G". Responding to the decision to throw out the plans, Mr Phillips said the firm's services were "critical to our community" and the proposal had been in line with the government's national telecommunications strategy. "Continued investment in additional equipment is required to address exponentially rising demand from customers," he added.
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Source: BBC News, 20 Jan 2022

Hove residents set up petition to fight rooftop 5G mast
United Kingdom	Created: 28 Dec 2021
Neighbours fighting plans for a 5G mast on the roof of their block of flats have started a petition aimed at thwarting telecoms bosses. Vodafone and O2 wanted to put 12 masts and four dishes on the roof of Park Lodge, in Dyke Road, Hove, as well as seven cabinets in the communal garden. Their infrastructure business Cornerstone submitted a planning application to Brighton and Hove City Council in the summer but, in the face of opposition, withdrew it. Leaseholders in the block believe that a revised application is on the cards. So they have started a petition asking the council to protect land between Dyke Road, Old Shoreham Road and The Upper Drive. They want the council to bring in a policy – known as an Article 4 Direction = that would prevent telecoms masts being granted planning permission under a process known as “prior approval”. The petition said: “Dyke Road Park is recognised on the Brighton and Hove List of Heritage Assets. It is rich in flora and fauna, some of which has protected status. This includes vintage elm trees, badgers and bats. “It is used by the wider population and students attending the five schools in the vicinity. It is part of the urban ‘green lung’ connecting coast to downland as part of the UNESCO sponsored Living Coast. “The proposed area has concentrated use by young people for substantial amounts of time for education and leisure purposes. “A precautionary approach to the introduction of 5G technology in the identified area is prudent and called for.” Park Lodge resident Valerie Bundy, who has campaigned against mobile phone masts on top of her home for more than 20 years, led the most recent campaign against the proposed masts. She marked out a space in the block’s communal garden to show how much would be lost if Cornerstone installed its masts and cabinets there. Miss Bundy said: “A recent invalidated attempt to place a large network of 5G masts and dishes on the roof and ‘theft’ of a large portion of a small community garden that is home to wildlife including protected species highlighted how vulnerable the area is to such a development. “The park is recognised by Brighton and Hove as a ‘heritage asset of local value’, is used and loved by a wide section of the community. “We want to protect the special character of this area and keep it for the use of current and future generations to enjoy without this oppressive development undermining their enjoyment of the area.” Conservative councillor Samer Bagaeen said that he and his fellow Hove Park ward councillor Vanessa Brown supported the petition and hoped to present it to a meeting of the full council in February. He said: “It comes on the back of a small win to stall the application for an array on top of Park Lodge against the wishes of both leaseholders and freeholders. “We’ve just turned round an application for a mast in Shirley Drive, at the bottom of Tongdean Road, so we will always fight applications that do not recognise or consult with our residents.” The petition is open until Wednesday 2 February on the council website. To read it or sign it, click here: https://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=802&RPID=50454719&HPID=50454719
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Source: Brighton and Hove News, Sarah Booker-Lewis, 22 Dec 2021

Government rejects calls for mobile phone mast overhaul
United Kingdom	Created: 27 Nov 2021
Campaigners have warned that community groups which rent land to mobile phone giants have seen income collapse due to Government rule changes. Community groups across the country are set to miss out on millions of pounds in rent payments from telecoms giants for phone masts on their land after the Government rejected calls for a rule change. Visitor centres, churches and schools had been urging ministers to overturn controversial rules that led to a recalculation of rental values, leaving them around £1 billion out of pocket since 2017. The Digital Economy Act saw rents reduced by 90% for organisations and landowners that host masts and telecoms infrastructure. A consultation was opened by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to look at changing the rules but the Government has now rejected them, instead offering a new complaints process. Campaigners reacted with fury at the decision and warned that charities and organisations could suffer. In 2017, the Government changed the valuation methodology, which has resulted in mobile phone companies demanding rent reductions of up to 90%. It has hit thousands of small businesses and individuals at a time when many are already facing financial hardship. Research carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) found that the sports and social clubs, farmers, churches, charities and small businesses which provide telecommunications sites across the UK have collectively lost £209 million in rent each year since the change. Campaigners say the Government should have used the proposed legislation to undertake a thorough review of the valuation system in order to assess the impact of the 2017 amendment. Instead, it is proposing a complex complaints process intended to manage negotiations between landowner and mobile phone operator. Chairwoman of the Protect and Connect campaign Anna Turley said: “The Government has been completely tin-eared in this consultation. “Thousands of people responded to highlight the problem of land valuation. “The vast majority explained what it is like to host a mobile phone mast and have your rent slashed and rights over your land or property handed over to telecoms giants. “The Government has ridden rough-shod over their views and given in to the demands of these companies, who are making huge profits at the expense of charities, sports clubs, councils and farmers.” One of the affected groups, nature charity Highfield Park Visitor Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire, said its rental income from masts has fallen from £10,000 a year to just £200. Park manager Richard Bull said: “I can’t believe the Government is allowing this to happen. We saw our £10,000 annual rent cut to just £200, which has had a devastating impact on our charity. “We wanted them to take their mast away – but of course they won’t; instead they’re adding more and more infrastructure and we can’t do anything about it. “It is very disappointing that the Government places business needs above everything else.” Ed Bailey, who runs a family hill farm in Gwynedd, North Wales has also been badly affected. He originally agreed a rent of £5,500 a year early in 2017 with a network operator to have a telecoms mast on his land. But, months later, after telecoms companies were granted extra powers, the rent offer was reduced to just £3.50 a year. Mr Bailey said: “Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family. “I can’t believe the Government is allowing this to happen to more people up and down the country, and I can’t help but think that all of this will slow down digital connectivity because who is going to want a mast on their land now?”
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Source: Evening Standard, Simon Neville, 25 Nov 2021

65ft phone mast will be built by homes in Wakefield because 'government doesn't have a clue'
United Kingdom	Created: 24 Nov 2021
The government has insisted on a 5G mast being built on a busy road in Wakefield, just months after the local council rejected such plans. Campaigners thought they’d successfully seen off a proposal to build a 20 metre (65 foot) mast on Dewsbury Road in Lupset. Planning officers at Wakefield Council said the structure would be an eyesore “at odds” with the surrounding area when they turned the plans down in June. Click here for more news and updates from Wakefield But government officials, who looked at the case after the developers appealed, have disagreed with that assessment and overturned the decision. In their findings, the Planning Inspectorate described the mast as “essential” and said the need for “an electronic communications system should not be questioned”. The mast will be 15 metres – five shorter than originally proposed – and be placed near the small Sainsbury’s store in the area. But Wakefield West councillor Michael Graham, one of 86 people to object to the original application, said he was deeply unhappy with the result. He said: “It makes you think, what is the point of the planning process here if the decision is just going to get overturned? “Clearly they (the government) think local people don’t have a clue about their own communities. “I know the people living directly facing where it’s going to be aren’t happy about it and I just don’t think it’s the right place. “With all the street furniture that comes with it it’s going to be so prominent.” In their report, the Planning Inspectorate said the mast will “not unacceptably harm the character and appearance” of the area. They cited street furniture such as speed cameras, street lights and bus stops already on Dewsbury Road as evidence it will not be overly intrusive. Dismissing concerns that people’s house prices may be affected by the move, the report said: “The planning system does not exist to protect private interests such as value of land or property.” Councillor Graham said he disagreed with the findings and added: “I know some people are happy with the extra signal it will bring, but for me, on balance I don’t think the inconvenience of having this there is worth it. “I think they could have found somewhere else for it.” A number of objectors had cited health concerns in relation to 5G, many of which have no scientific basis in fact and have been peddled by Covid conspiracy theorists. The council said these played no part in its decision to reject the proposal, as it was not in its remit to decide on “health safeguards”.
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Source: Yorkshire Live, David Spereall, 16 Nov 2021

Telecom behemoths slash phone mast rent by 90%, sparking outrage
United Kingdom	Created: 23 Nov 2021
SMALL landowners who host phone masts are demanding a fair deal from telecom behemoths, who are threatening to slash rents by up to 90%. A change in the law has resulted in a massive drop in income for sports clubs, farmers, charities, churches, hospitals, and community groups all over the country. Telecom companies have taken advantage of rights granted to them under the 2017 Electronic Communications Code to reduce funding at a time when many community organizations are already struggling. Some operators have been accused of employing aggressive tactics, including bullying, to compel landlords to accept the new terms or face legal action. Anna Turley, a former Labour MP, is the chair of the Protect and Connect campaign, which is calling for a thorough review of the 2017 code’s impact. Since its inception earlier this year, the organization has gathered the support of over 1,000 website owners. “These large corporations, who make massive profits every year, have been given the power to essentially slash these rents,” Ms Turley explained. “There’s actually a principle here, which is that there’s a real imbalance of power, aside from the financial cut and the impact on their ability to run their services or continue the sports facilities.” “Through this code, the government gave these companies complete control in 2017, allowing them to pay whatever they want.” “That’s a very unequal power balance.” That isn’t a debate or a market negotiation; it is simply handing over complete control to the major corporations.” There is also growing concern that the rent cuts will stymie the rollout of 5G across the country, with many small landowners threatening to demolish masts. Protect and Connect claims that the mobile operators’ alleged aggressive behavior has already slowed the adoption of faster mobile connectivity, causing £2 billion in annual productivity losses. The campaigners are concerned that the new Product Security and Telecoms Infrastructure Bill, which is expected to be passed before Christmas, will force sites to continue hosting masts despite rent reductions. ——————————————————– Kathryn Bradshaw is outraged, calling it a “complete and utter disgrace” that community facilities will lose thousands of pounds in rent as a result of hosting masts. Kathryn, 70, is the secretary of Fox Lane Sports and Social Club, which pays £7,800 per year for an EE mast. This was predicted to drop to £780 two years ago.
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Source: Brinkwire, Helena Sutan, 23 Nov 2021

Calling all payphone users: thousands of call boxes set for protection
United Kingdom	Created: 10 Nov 2021
Thousands of vital phone boxes around the UK will be protected from closure, under Ofcom plans announced today. With 96% of UK adults now owning a mobile phone, and mobile signal improving significantly in recent years, the way people make calls is changing. As part of the move to digital phone lines, which will require investment to upgrade phone boxes, BT is currently assessing which ones are no longer needed and can be decommissioned. But under the current process for removing payphones, some that are needed by local communities risk being withdrawn. So Ofcom is proposing clearer, stronger rules to safeguard a phone box against removal, if any of four criteria applies: its location is not already covered by all four mobile networks; or it is located at an accident or suicide hotspot; or more than 52 calls have been made from it over the past 12 months; or exceptional circumstances mean there is a need for a public call box.[1] We estimate that around 5,000 phone boxes around the UK would be protected from removal by the new rules. BT and KCOM can propose to remove phone boxes that do not fall within this strict criteria, but would need to formally consult with local communities before any action is taken. Some of the call boxes we plan to protect are used to make relatively low numbers of calls. But if one of those calls is from a distressed child, an accident victim or someone contemplating suicide, that public phone line can be a lifeline at a time of great need. We also want to make sure that people without mobile coverage, often in rural areas, can still make calls. At the same time, we’re planning to support the rollout of new phone boxes with free Wi-Fi and charging. Selina Chadha, Ofcom’s Director of Connectivity Under our plans, BT and KCOM – which operates Hull’s unique white phone boxes – must also install batteries in some payphones, so they can still be used during a power cut. Who still uses payphones? There are currently around 21,000 call boxes across the country. For people without a mobile, or for those in areas with poor mobile coverage, these can be a lifeline for making calls to friends and family, helpline services and accessing emergency services. Almost 150,000 calls were made to emergency services from phone boxes in the year to May 2020, while 25,000 calls were made to Childline and 20,000 to Samaritans. At the same time, the services people need from public call boxes are changing. Call volumes from payphones have fallen from around 800m minutes in 2002 to just 7m in 2020. A new generation of street hubs being rolled out by BT offer services such as free Wi-Fi and free charging. So we are also proposing to allow BT and KCOM greater flexibility in the range of services they can provide in their phone boxes, to keep pace with people’s needs.[2] BT and KCOM provide around 21000 public call boxes across the U K. 5 million calls were made from them last year, 150000 were emergencies, 25000 were to childline and 20k to samaritans. Calls have decreased from 800m minutes in 2002 to 7 million in 2020. Since BT launched its adopt a kiosk scheme over 6000 kiosks have been converted into defibrillators and libraries. Notes to editors Exceptional circumstances: This category could include issues relevant to the geographic location of the phone box (for instance, a coastal location where mobile reception is less resilient); as well as the types of calls made from the phone, such as to helpline numbers. For several years, BT has been decommissioning payphones that it has assessed are no longer needed. However, local authorities who want to retain the iconic red kiosk can use BT’s ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme. Under the scheme, local bodies can purchase a red kiosk for £1 and use it for something else. Since BT launched the scheme, more than 6,000 kiosks have been converted to a range of different uses, such as community libraries, or to house life-saving public defibrillators. We are also consulting on removing the requirement to provide a fax service.
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Source: OFCOM, 09 Nov 2021

BREAKING! Fishersgate mast in Brighton, quashed at Judicial Review
United Kingdom	Created: 7 Nov 2021
Finally, we now have the recognition that Local Planning Authorities need to address the health impacts of 5G mast proposals further, rather than blindly accepting an ICNIRP certificate. Thank you to all those of you who donated, without your donations this could not have happened. Siting and Appearance, are still ‘material planning considerations’ under Prior Approval. As such, NPPF policy para 118 must still be treated, along with other policies, by weighing evidence of ‘compatible and incompatible use’. A self declared ICNIRP certificate is just one factor, and not sufficient on its own. This may not be the technical reason for the judgement, but is an important area to keep pressing. Para 185 contradicts 118. Councils COULD be helping us, there are enough considerations to refuse masts as pollutants. Brighton Council conceded on all 3 grounds in the Judicial Review Challenge including: “the Council failed to address the health impacts of this particular proposal and to obtain adequate evidence of the assessment of the proximity to the school and the amended proposal” The High Court of Justice issued the Consent Order today and Brighton Council have to pay the costs. A massive thank you goes to Karen Churchill, Carol Springay and her partner Spencer who put a lot of time and effort into this along with Carole Ward and Councillor Les Hamilton. You will notice the ground says “for this particular proposal”. The mast was 27m from a school and no exclusion zones were provided (normally up to 50m). If you have an equivalent situation or a mast very close to homes with children then the parallel with the case could be argued tightly. But you could also use the precedent to argue that health affects within 500m should be addressed. Keep it simple with just one or 2 references. The planners and councillors do say they are not scientists and can be overwhelmed by “science”. The latest Spanish paper (LOPEZ et al 2021) could work well. also the JD Pearce paper: What is the radiation before 5G? A correlation study between measurements in situ and in real time and epidemiological indicators in Vallecas, Madrid Lopez https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33434609/ shows headaches and sleep disturbances. Limiting liability with positioning to minimize negative health effects of cellular phone towers JD PEARCE paper states “There is a large and growing body of evidence that human exposure to RFR from cellular phone base stations causes negative health effects, including both i) neuropsychiatric complaints such as headache, concentration difficulties, memory changes, dizziness, tremors, depressive symptoms, fatigue and sleep disturbance, and ii) increased incidence of cancer and living in proximity to a cell-phone transmitter station. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337624982_Limiting_liability_with_positioning_to_minimize_negative_health_effects_of_cellular_phone_towers Councils need to know that they could face a Judicial Review if they don’t address the information and evidence you present them. Keep asking them where the exclusion zones fall and don’t accept any decision where you suspect there is a residence within the zone. If health impacts need to be assessed by a school then by deduction one could argue that equally children need to be protected at home and information you present about health impacts should be addressed. If there are homes very close to the mast which house children, you could point this out and then link to the Brighton precedent. (ref planning app no. BH2021/016) Link to ruling, here: https://rfinfo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Consent-Order-02.11.21.pdf
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Source: RF INFO, 04 Nov 2021

Bramley: ‘Overly dominant’ mobile phone mast refused permission by planners
United Kingdom	Created: 20 Oct 2021
Plans for a 15-metre high 5G mobile phone mast and cabinet have been knocked back by council planners. CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd wanted to site the new mast on Ganners Way, opposite St Margaret’s church, in a bid to boost mobile phone coverage in the area. But a report from a council planning officer raised concerns over siting and its appearance and said: “The proposal will be highly visible within the locality and appear overly dominant within its context of two-storey buildings (residential and ecclesiastical). Moreover, it sits within a wholly residential area and directly adjacent to housing.” The plans can be viewed in full here: https://publicaccess.leeds.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QYOWRIJBM9100
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Source: West Leeds Dispatch, 19 Oct 2021

"Eyesore" 5G mobile pole plans in Bridgwater refused
United Kingdom	Created: 20 Oct 2021
Three UK said there was an 'acute need' for the new facilities in the town. Plans to build a new 5G mobile phone mast in Bridgwater have been quashed after residents described the proposed pole as an "eyesore". Proposals were submitted to Sedgemoor District Council in August this year by mobile phone provider Three UK to build a 17-metre-high pole providing improved 5G coverage on Whitfield Road, Bridgwater. The plan would also see three further equipment cabinets to serve the mast built in the surrounding area. Three said in its application to Sedgemoor District Council that high-speed connectivity was "the lifeblood of a community" and that improved mobile coverage and 5G would bring benefits to everyone in the community, where it says there is an "acute need" for new equipment to improve coverage. The planning statement said: "In these unprecedented times of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is recognised that high-speed mobile connectivity is the lifeblood of a community; facilitating educational benefits, providing access to vital services, improving communications with the associated commercial benefits for local businesses, enabling e-commerce and facilitating the increased need and demand for working from home, as well as enjoying access to social, media and gaming for leisure time activities. "There is an acute need for a new base station to provide effective service coverage and in this case, the height of the proposed street pole is the minimum required to bring the benefits of 5G to this area. "The very nature of installing new 5G mast infrastructure within such an urban setting requires a highly considered balance between the need to extend practical coverage reach with that of increasing risk of visual amenity intrusion." Looking for today's top stories in one place? Sign up for our newsletter here . However, the council stated in its judgement that prior approval would be needed to construct the mast and that such approval would not be given. The council's decision said that it would refuse approval for the construction of the pole, for the fact that it "would result in a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the street scene and residential character of the area". Residents of the surrounding area also objected vehemently to the proposal. Michael Horsell described the proposed structure as an "eyesore" and stated that it would cause visibility problems for motorists coming through the area. He wrote through the council's planning portal: "I object to the proposal of placing a new 5G mast on Whitfield Road, Bridgwater. Having seen the plans it will be a disgusting eyesore. "There must be a better position for the mast - it will cause obstructions to motorists not being able to see people approaching the crossing." Simon Tottle, also objecting, said that there was "no need" for the pole in the area since houses around the site used broadband or Wifi for their internet connection rather than mobile phone coverage. He wrote: "I do not feel there is any need for a 5G mast to be erected in a residential area, due to the fact that the majority of houses use broadband/wifi for their main connection to internet."
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Source: Somerset Live, Jack Colwill, 18 Oct 2021

NO suspects identified in any mindless attacks on phone masts in recent years
United Kingdom	Created: 12 Oct 2021
NO suspects have been identified in any attacks in recent years on 5G and other phone masts in Bradford, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Over 50 per cent of attacks between the start of 2019 and the middle of this year in West Yorkshire happened in Bradford, including four in one month alone. Major concerns have previously been raised about attacks on 5G masts in the city, with Three taking the step of writing to MPs and the Council last year over the issue. Peter Gilson, Director of Radio Access Networks at Three, told the Telegraph & Argus: “Clearly from a financial aspect, it’s a problem.That’s secondary from my perspective. The most important part is the health and safety of the people of Bradford. “When you burn down a mast, it’s not specific to 5G, it’s one of our masts, what happens is you’ve got a large piece of metal there. “Firstly it’s up in flames, it’s been attacked and damaged, which creates the problem of, potentially, some parts of the metal being loose and falling either during the attack and hurting somebody who’s actually involved in the attack, or later on, a passer-by walking past can get smacked on the head. “The risk of death is there.” West Yorkshire Police insisted all attacks are taken “very seriously” and said work is ongoing around crime prevention solutions. Data from the force shows that between January 2019 and July this year, there was a total of 29 attacks, be it arson or criminal damage, on telecommunication masts in the county. Just one of those happened in 2019, with a surge to 19 in 2020 and the first attack of that year happening in March. In the height of the coronavirus pandemic, UK mobile network providers warned against the spread of “baseless” conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G. Nine attacks were recorded in 2021 between February and the end of July. And of the 29 crimes recorded by West Yorkshire Police in the period the data covers, 16 happened in Bradford. Others were recorded in Halifax, Huddersfield, Pontefract, Featherstone, Dewsbury and Leeds. In May 2020, a mast was attacked in the Wibsey area where a fire was lit at the bottom which then spread further up and caused “significant damage”. There was then an incident in the BD8 area of the city in June last year, where a screw driver was used to damage the door of the mast. The data then shows a spate later in the year. In September, there were four arson attacks on masts in Bradford alone, with three of those in the BD3 area of the city. In one, the suspects are said to have attacked the rear box of a 5G tower, prised it open and place panels of wood inside before setting it on fire and making off from the scene. Yobs then unleashed another arson attack the following month in the BD8 area. There was then another in November in the BD5 area, plus two criminal damage incidents in the BD4 area. December then saw another arson attack in Bradford, where a rag was torched and then thrown inside the bottom of a 5G mast, forcing witnesses to attempt to extinguish the flames by pouring water on the fire. There was then a further four criminal damage incidents and two arson attacks in 2021 in the period the data covers. Mindless vandals struck again last month, when a 5G mast on Trinity Road, Little Horton, was torched in a late-night attack. Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Gaffney, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The deliberate damage to these types of masts can be very dangerous – for nearby residents and those committing the serious offences. “Attacks can also pose a significant risk to the road network and we treat these incidents very seriously.” She added: “We ensure that every attack is promptly and thoroughly investigated and we are working with our key partners in industry to explore crime prevention solutions. “Work also remains ongoing in the community to prevent attacks and ensure robust action is taken against those responsible when attacks do occur. “I would appeal directly to anyone with information about any such attacks to contract police.”
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Source: Telegraph and Argus, Felicity Macnamara, 04 Oct 2021

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