'Why put phone mast so close to schools?'

18 May 2006

Residents are fighting plans to install a seven-metre-high mobile phone mast just 100 metres from two schools.

Seventy-eight Blackfen residents attended a meeting on Monday night to find out more about the application by T-Mobile.

The company submitted an application to Bexley council to install the mast at the junction of Days Lane, Berwick Crescent and Fen Grove on April 26.

Residents are concerned that the mast will be too close to Days Lane Primary School in Days Lane and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School in Holbeach Gardens. They say installing the mast so near the schools will endanger the health of the children.

Paul Crudge, 36, of Berwick Crescent, who is leading the campaign against the mast, said: "The siting is the main objection, but there are also the unknown effects the mast could have on people's health. We are also concerned about the devaluation of our houses. A local estate agent has said we could be looking at losing £10,000 to £20,000 on the price of our homes if the mast is installed."

Mr Crudge, a father of two, added: "We don't object to technology - we all have mobile phones - it's just the siting of the mast that concerns us. There has to be somewhere more suitable to put it." Objectors have until May 26 to send their views on the application to the council. Protestors are urging residents to send in letters of objection.

Barry Turner-Smith, community relations officer for T-Mobile, said residents had nothing to fear because all the company's telephone stations met the precautionary guidelines recommended in the 2000 Stewart Report.

He said the World Health Organisation had not found any scientific evidence that radio-frequency fields produced by mobile phone masts posed health risks to the public.

He added: "If that organisation says it's safe then we will follow that,"

For more about the campaign, go to www.notransmitter.co.uk.