Opposition to the Siting of Telecommunication Masts

There has been an ongoing debate about the growth of Telecommunications Masts and their safety over the last decade.

With the growth of mobile phones - to the stage that about 8 out of 10 of us now use a mobile - has come the network to ensure that we all have good reception wherever we are.

As with any technology like this there are of course safety fears. There have been stories about the use of phones and quite naturally it follows that concerns have been raised by the permanent masts.

The Stewart Reprt was commissioned to look into the matter and I have taken a keen interest in the issue as there have been qiute a few high profile local campaigns against their sitings in the constituency.

I have researched the background to many of the claims from both sides.

The main difficulty as a constituency MP is that I have no powers to stop the siting of masts. The local authority has some powers (but I believe should have more) and we can appeal to the 'good nature' of the telephone company to find a more suitable site. As you can imagine they have usually decided upon their location after a great deal of research and do not seem to keen to re locate!

So I am only usually able to offer advice about the information that is available about the safety aspects of masts, how to lobby the local council and make an appeal on behalf of residents to the phone companies to reconsider if the site is considered unsuitable.

Applications for masts which have caused local campaigns have been in Sileby, Shepshed, Barrow, Quorn and in Loughborough.

Updated May 2003