Campaigners fight Mutley mast
ANGRY residents have staged a protest against plans to erect a 12.5 metre mobile phone mast in Mutley.
People living close to the junction of Kensington Road and Queen's Road, where phone company O2 has applied to site a mast, took to the streets to protest on New Year's Day.
A petition against the mast was handed to Councillor Andy Kerswell.
Jon Payn, the owner of West Hill Stores, said his shop and home are just 15 metres from the proposed site.
He said: "There are a lot of very angry people here. A lot of people are objecting, as they are all over the country."
He said many people were very concerned about the long-term health implications of living near a mobile phone mast, as some studies had suggested they could be harmful.
But because the Government does not accept there is a health risk, objections on health grounds will not be considered by council planning officers, who will decide on January 6 if the mast needs planning permission or whether it can be built straight away.
Mr Payn said: "The planning objection we are making is about the visual impact, which is also very strong. It will tower above us."
Mr Payn, 58, said he had been looking into the health risks associated with mobile phone masts and was particularly concerned about the possible effect on his three children.
"Two of my children wrote to the council themselves; that's how frightened they are about this.
"From what I have been finding out, we would have to move away if this goes ahead.
"We're not all going to drop down dead with brain seizures, but, with the long-term effects unknown, I can't see how, as a responsible parent, I could stay."
Mr Payn said he had even offered his own house as an alternative site for the mast, because the radiation was not directed downwards.
In its letter to the council, O2 said the mast would be used to improve the 2G and 3G coverage in the area.
One of more than a dozen proposed mobile phone masts in the city, it would stand just over 100 yards from a mast Vodafone wants to erect at the juntion of Greenbank Road and Longfield Place.
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by John Turner, Mutley, Plymouth
Sunday, January 04 2009, 7:26PM
“This is what happens when people regard themselves as 'informed' by reading the Daily Mail/Sun etc. regularly.
It would be very interesting to see if Mr Payn does actually move out if the mast is erected. I suspect these protesters are just radiating too much hot air and need to find something constructive to do with their time.”
by Archiepops, Plymouth
Sunday, January 04 2009, 6:55PM
“Well, well. Here we go yet again. I bet every 'protestor' has a mobile phone. I work in a mobile network call centre and these people would soon be ringing up when they had no signal expeting us to let tem out of their contract because WE cannot put up transmitters because THESE people turn them down! I bet they don't moan about the tv aerials/transmitters do they! Idiots!”
by Keith, Eggbuckland
Sunday, January 04 2009, 6:16PM
“These masts are fine as long as they are not sighted near residential housing, if these councillors do not stand up for you then make it plain what will happen to them at the next elections, pull no punches with these clowns, strange how they do not live near by.
On the plus side before you take your dog out for a walk, stick a pasty on your window sill and by the time you come home it will be nice and warm, remember to let it stand for 1 minute after removing it from the window sill else you could burn your mouth.”
by garr`, marton
Sunday, January 04 2009, 3:35AM
“i lived off mutley in mannamead in `87.it was then a good place any day of the week to have a beer in any of the bars (the nottingham included}.no cctv,no bouncers,no knob`eads no bother! how times have changed,SHAME.seems mutley is now "HATED"”
by John Furgrove, Plymouth
Saturday, January 03 2009, 10:29PM
“Carphone warehouse has some great deals on mobile phones at the moment! Just to let you know as you must not have one at the mo.... Mutley is a s---hole, like youd care if they were applying to put one somewhere else in the city. GET OVER IT!”
by Gill, Plymouth
Saturday, January 03 2009, 9:28PM
“The area arround could hardly be described as picturesque. Another ugly mast won't make any difference.”
by Mick, Barbican
Saturday, January 03 2009, 7:20PM
“quote-"The planning objection we are making is about the visual impact, which is also very strong. It will tower above us."
So what? I don't hear the french complaining about the Eiffel tower..”
by Mick, Barbican
Saturday, January 03 2009, 7:18PM
“quote- "Two of my children wrote to the council themselves; that's how frightened they are about this"
CHILD 1- "We don't want that mast"
CHILD 2- "Yeah, what he said"”
by Mick, Barbican
Saturday, January 03 2009, 7:10PM
“quote-"I see they have several on the bell tower of Emmanuel church"
Quasimodo would never have stood for it”
by Mick, Barbican
Saturday, January 03 2009, 7:07PM
“A former boss of Fylingdales radar station said UFO's were often attracted by the radar waves, so if I lived near the proposed mast I'd think twice before answering a knock at the door, I'd just shout "Gort, klaatu borada nikto" through the letterbox and leave it at that..”