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Mast protesters clash with builders (From Watford Observer)
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Mast protesters clash with builders
5:00pm Monday 12th January 2009
Protesters opposed to the building of a mobile phone mast in a quiet country lane came face to face with construction workers this morning.
T-Mobile has permission to build an 8.5 metre antenna on a small patch of grass in Burtons Lane – won on appeal despite bitter protests from residents and councillors.
A small group of objectors, however, is refusing to admit defeat and attempted to prevent builders starting work when they arrived this morning.
The protesters, from the campaign group Chorleywood and Chalfont Against Mast Pollution, say they will thwart the project at every turn.
As well as bringing the workers tea and coffee, they also helpfully pointed out to them that they were preparing to build the mast in the wrong place – around 30 metres the spot agreed with the council.
Anne Pearson, of Burtons Lane, was one of around ten protesters at the site. She sat atop an eight foot hedge, blocking the work of a mechanical digger.
She said: “We don’t want another mobile pone mast in Chorleywood and certainly don’t need one. There is nothing wrong with the mobile phone signal in this area.
“It’s very cold but I’m quite comfortable up here at the moment.”
Neighbour Cathy Vine added: “The council said no to this and so did Three Rivers District Council.
“They [T-Mobile] only forced this through on appeal. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty; close to houses and near a school. We believe this mast poses a health risk to people and the horses in the nearby fields.”
After the Watford Observer visited the site T-Mobile admitted it was building in the wrong place and began moving its equipment – a mechanical digger, fencing, and workmen – to the correct place.
When built the mast will form part of the next generation so called 3G network, allowing users greater access to the video images and the internet.
T-Mobile, together with all other service providers, refute any suggestion that mobile phone usage and masts are unsafe, quoting a range of scientific studies to support this opinion.
An academic consensus, however, has yet to be reached on the matter.
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Your Say YourWatford
J Elliott, Bristol says...
8:00am Tue 13 Jan 09
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.'
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.
Paradise Watford, says...
10:00am Wed 14 Jan 09
J Elliot you are a prat, your argument against mobile phone masts would have carried more weight if you hadn't condonned the use of mobiles. Do you own one yourself? Seeing as almost everyone does i'd be suprised if not.
As damming as your report is do you know that there are countless others out there that say that mobile phone masts don't pose any health risks? Its so hard to know who to believe, but each side will pick and choose what information they use to suit their own purpose.
One of the protestors pretty much admitted that she owned a mobile when she said that the signal strength was perfectly acceptable in that area as it is! Double standards, double standards. She would probably be okay if the mast was being built in the council estate down the road I bet!
Interestin that only 8 people out of the thousands that live in the area bothered to protest, thats telling too isn't it.
Roy Stockdill, says...
10:24am Wed 14 Jan 09
And before anyone asks - yes, I do possess a mobile (reluctantly) but I hardly ever use it except when absolutely necessary because I abhor morons who somehow feel the whole world needs to be given a running commentary on their movements! Personally, I regard mobile phones as perhaps the worst and most unnecessary invention of the late 20th century.
Paradise Watford, says...
3:16pm Wed 14 Jan 09
Your sayYour Watford
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Protesters gather at the site (pictures by Isabelle Hems)
Protester Anne Pearson makes her point
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bishopofwatford, bishopofwatford says...
3:53am Tue 13 Jan 09
if none of them do then fairplay i
will give their views a listen.
but if it is as i suspect the majority of them do then they r just a bunch of nimbies who all of a sudden see the prospect of negative equity upsetting their cosy little idylls .
still i must away sermons to write pews to polish and i must make a call myself to headquarters.
till next lesson