Ministers are to investigate arrangements for erecting mobile phone masts in the light of growing fears that they may cause cancer and other diseases because of "electronic smog".

 

They will review the exceptionally favourable rules that allow mobile phone companies to escape normal planning regulations and stop councils from considering the effects of the masts on health, even when they are sited near homes and schools.

 

Originally promised three years ago, and then shelved, the review follows articles in The Independent on Sunday about possible effects of the radiation on children and bees. The Government will take account of new scientific and medical evidence, and consult experts and campaigners, as part of a wider review of planning guidelines which ministers send to local authorities.

 

More than 47,000 "base stations", like masts, have already been erected in Britain to service its 50 million mobile phones, often in defiance of intense local public opposition. Successive governments have made extraordinary concessions to the companies to ensure that coverage was rolled out across the country as quickly as possible.

 

Masts up to 45ft high do not need planning permission in the normal way. Instead, companies merely have to notify councils of their intentions and can go ahead unless they are formally stopped within 56 days.

 

Overworked planning authorities struggle to cope with these applications on time, and companies have frequently put up the masts against councils' opposition because news of a refusal has reached them shortly after the deadline.

 

Seven years ago, an official inquiry - headed by Sir William Stewart, a former government chief scientist - concluded that "the siting of all new base stations should be subject to the normal planning process".

 

Ministers said that they were "minded" to implement this recommendation, and then failed to do so, even though full planning permission has long been required in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

 

The inquiry also urged that masts should not be built near schools unless parents agreed, but ministers refused to agree.

The planning rules also make it clear that councils cannot object to masts on health grounds because "the planning system is not the place for determining health safeguards". Yet studies are revealing worrying levels of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, difficulties in sleeping and concentrating, and learning and memory problems in people living near the masts - and there is also some suggestion that there may be an increase in cancers and heart disease.

 

Nevertheless, councils are instructed by the rules to "respond positively" to the phone companies' plans and, in practice, can reject a mast only on aesthetic grounds. The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, promised a review by the end of 2004. It never took place, but last week the Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed that the advice to local authorities is to be re-examined.

 

A spokesman for the department said: "We are examining developments in research on this issue. It is something that is going to be looked at."

 

tbh it smacks of medieval suspersticion.... im not convinced by a mile that theres any health risks from masts.

tbh it smacks of medieval suspersticion.... im not convinced by a mile that theres any health risks from masts.

 

Whether there's a health risk or not Rob, it seems totally unnacceptable to me that these phone mast companies seem to just be allowed to bypass the normal Planning Application permission rules... If you wanted to build a sodding gazebo or an extention to your garage on your own property you certainly wouldn't be able to unless you filled out the proper Council paperwork....

If you wanted to build a sodding gazebo or an extention to your garage on your own property you certainly wouldn't be able to unless you filled out the proper Council paperwork....

OR even add a porch to your front door!

And with planning permission taking upto 18 months in some cases before it's even seen(when it might need amending), then it's not a easy process.

OR even add a porch to your front door!

And with planning permission taking upto 18 months in some cases before it's even seen(when it might need amending), then it's not a easy process.

 

Totally mate.. So why are these phone mast companies allowed to completely ignore these regs then...? The ordinary bloke in the street who merely wants to increase their property value just gets royally fukked by local authorities, meanwhile, big companies get a free pass... Totally unnacceptable to me.... <_<

 

Still, not exactly the local authorties fault really is it, they are being "persuaded" by Central Govt arm-twisting to just go along with it and are being totally restricted as to what grounds they can refuse permission on.... <_<

 

 

There has never been any direct hard evidence linking mobile phone masts with cancer just media scare stories so don't see any reason why development of mobile phone masts should stop

There has never been any direct hard evidence linking mobile phone masts with cancer just media scare stories so don't see any reason why development of mobile phone masts should stop

 

I'm not fully convinced of the health risks either tbh, my objections are that these mobile phone companies are being allowed to bypass the normal planning rules and regs which ordinary people are subject to, and I dont believe that is morally right...

I'm not fully convinced of the health risks either tbh, my objections are that these mobile phone companies are being allowed to bypass the normal planning rules and regs which ordinary people are subject to, and I dont believe that is morally right...

 

99% of people have a mobile phone these days though Scott so they have a choice of one of these masts and good reception or no mast and poor reception for their mobiles, I think that most people would accept the former more

My nan had a mast put up on her farm and I can say it hasnt made me feel any different and having spent the best part of the last ten years around it i dont think it has had any affect on my health... *starts twitching* ;)

Health or not, no reason big business should by-pass planning permission regulations.

If the government was concerned that waiting 12 months+ was to long to wait, then they should of insisted the local planning permission is dealt with in a set time.

For example 60 days.