02 row goes on....

On the 22nd of July, the Croydon Advertiser reported on the latest exchanges between 02 and me. The press release which this stemmed from is here. Mrs SS Khan (my mother) coincidently appeared on page 17 of the same paper.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Mobile Phone Mast on Boulogne Road

The mobile phone mast outside the garden of Boulogne Road Recreation Ground is now in operation. In erecting this cleverly designed construct which fades into the street scene to the point where it can hardly be distinguished from the adjacent trees, the mobile phone operator 02 has displayed a level of disdain which befits a profit hungry multinational company. 02 have repeatedly been asked for a report which shows that further work was carried out to source an alternative location. It is my feeling that there is no additional report and the Community Liaison Officer, Jim Stevenson, took the view that once the mast was erected and operational, the residents would just go along with it and maybe even rejoice in the zero increase in signal strength (02 iphone users already had excellent reception in this area). It should be noted that just this month the EU issued a report identifying the dangers of electromagnetic fields on school grounds. NB. the mast is yards away from two nurseries.

IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

7th May Reminder sent to Mr Stevenson.
25th March I requested again that Mr Stevenson forward the report from the radio planners.


4th March Mr Stevenson agreed to forward the results of the radio planners in the area.


25th February Upon seeing the outline of the planned mobile phone mast, I contacted Jim Stevenson the Community Liaison Officer for Telefonica 02. At the public meeting Mr Stevenson agreed to go back to his 'radio team' to request another survey. The residents at the meeting had accepted a mast was going to be erected in the area, but wondered if a more suitable location, for all concerned, could be found. He replied with the following email:

Sorry Mr Khan I meant to send this mail earlier. We have not had any luck with finding an alternate site to this one, therefore we will be commencing work in Early March and continuing from there on in. I would like to thank you for your interest in this site and wish you all the very best for the future.

8th February I received the following email from Mr Stevenson:

We have been Looking Mr Khan, but have found nothing as yet. I have asked the radio team to extend the search as much as possible and let me know the result of this. I should be able to come back to you next week with a result.

Note: sarcasm in italics.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Local coverage of the mobile phone mast meeting

.....Piece on the mobile phone mast in the Croydon Guardian.

I've found some old pics of similar mobile phone mast outrage. These pictures are from South Croydon in September 2006.

Previous protests at the South Croydon Sports Club

Steve Harris (left) Green Party Croham candidate 2006 and 2010

 The picture above show that
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Video of the mobile phone mast meeting

Link to coverage on Thornton Heath Live

It's easy to assume that a stand alone mobile phone mast, or single third generation mobile phone, or even a wi-fi system at school is risk-free with regard to human health. However, what about the total exposure? What about cumulative long term exposure of all these different sources of non-ionising manmade electromagnetic radiation? Can it be confidently said there is no risk, especially to children whose bodies are still developing?

James Stevenson from o2, who appears on the video, said at the meeting that the signal coverage, for a mast, is just 1km. Given that mobile phone masts under 15m are erected using a General Permitted Development Order - not full planning application, will we see loads more springing up across Croydon, London and the country?

There are 22.6 billion* reasons why the government might find itself in a difficult position if there was a clear and definitive correlation between proximity to masts and human health.

*£22.6billion is how much the the mobile phone operators paid for the 3G licenses.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Mobile Phone Mast construction postponed!

Meeting on 25th January 2010 - Whitehorse Youth Centre

27.01.11

Press release immediate:

MOBILE PHONE OPERATORS POSTPONE PLANS TO CONSTRUCT MAST

On the 25^th January – local residents met with Mr James Stevenson, o2 Community Liaison Officer, to express their concerns about the approved mobile phone mast on Boulogne Road, next to Whitehorse Road. During a lively debate, the representative from o2 and Vodafone agreed to postpone the construction of the mast until ascertained whether alternative locations are indeed available. The audience made it clear they could not comprehend that a park was the only location given the signal radius of the mast.

Green Party spokesperson Shasha Khan, who organised the meeting, said:

“This reprieve shows that the community can take on the power of not one, but two mobile phone operators. Mobile phone masts may be a necessary part of our cityscape, but that doesn’t mean these companies can ignore the views of a small yet well organised group of people.”

KEY POINTS ARISING AT THE MEETING

• Mid-way through the meeting Mr. Stevenson informed the meeting (1) that the mobile phone mast was due to go up next week.
• Mr. Stevenson, advised the meeting that the council were paid £350 as a one off payment for erecting the mast. This led the audience to comment that £350 is all that the local community, and our public park, is worth to the council. It was to put to Mr Stevenson, that the agents who are operating in Croydon simply sourced the least expensive location.
• Mr Stevenson said o2 were not aware of any objections received. Yet the council web site still shows Application number 10/02698/DT received seven objections. Croydon council seems to have simply filed these objections. Surely, the comments should have been forwarded to the applicant.
• Those that attended the meeting told Mr. Stevenson that the reception they were getting on their o2 and Vodafone smart phones was perfect. Why was there a need for an additional mast?
• Mr. Stevenson explained that the signal strength of the mast was 1km. This by implication suggests we will a lot more in Croydon.
• Mr. Stevenson stormed out when the meeting finished refusing to shake my hand or acknowledging anyone.

Shasha Khan, continued

“As new technologies become available to us, we need to be made aware of any potential or increased risks, and given clear guidance on safest possible use. Mr. Stevenson stated that there was no risk from the mobile phone mast. This is contrary to logical thought. As more and more mobile phone masts are erected, as more and more wi-fi internet services become available - in schools and in homes, the issue of measurement of total dose of electromagnetic radiation comes to the fore. Looking at one stand-alone mast is not necessarily looking at the bigger picture.

“Given this continued line that there was no risk to the local residents, I asked Mr. Stevenson if o2 and Vodafone would pay for epidemiological survey, a way of tracking the health of the local residents. He initially rejected the idea but then changed his mind saying, “Come back to me,” implying he would consider it. I have already started drawing up a list of people who are willing to take part.” (2)

ENDS:

NOTES:

(1) Contact details of local residents are available upon request.

(2) There are examples of residents groups who have asked for an epidemiological survey, not necessarily funded by mobile phone operators, which has resulted in the applicant withdrawing their application.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Mast meeting coverage

Both the Croydon Advertiser and Croydon Guardian have covered the meeting tomorrow.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Mobile phone mast meeting

After arranging the meeting with o2's Community Liaison Officer, the next step is to publicise it. In order to ensure that people are aware of the meeting, I have gone for a suitably bombastic style. I hope the outcome is that local people will come and question the applicant.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Another letter re the Mobile Phone Mast

In response to this letter in the Croydon Guardian.

18.11.10

Dear Editor,

The First Past the Post method for electing councillors means that three quarters of Croydon’s councillors represent wards which won’t change hands for a generation, if ever. It would be contrary to human nature for councillors in these safe wards, such as Selhurst, not to get complacent because they essentially have a job for life. Regardless of Councillor Mansell’s view (Stop the unjustified scaremongering, Feedback, Nov 17th) on the health risks associated mobile phone technology and indeed my own view, which is one of precaution (recommendation from OFCOM web site), the fact remains that 500 households in the Selhurst ward are anxious about the mobile phone mast. Equally, parents whose children attend the two nurseries next to the approved site are also concerned. I would hazard a guess that if the margin of victory at the last election between Labour and the next placed party were only 500 votes then at the very least the councillors would have requested that the mobile phone operators give a presentation to allay the fears of the local people – something that I have now done.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Labour Councllor Maggie Mansell radiates her views

From Croydon Guardian

Labour Councillor Maggie Mansell has now stepped in to suggest that I am, "whipping up fear of an unreal threat."

The reason I have taken it upon myself to discuss the mobile phone mast is because residents and parents of children at the pre-school have had no representation. I am almost certain that if any of the planning officers that approved the mast, or any of the councillors that have written about me had a similar application just yards from them, they too would have done one, or both, of these things:

1. Lodge an objection and start a campaign to oppose the mast
2. Ask the mobile phone operators to attend a public meeting to allay any health concerns the local people have.

The key point is this : From speaking to residents I know they aren't happy about it. Is it acceptable that no-one has bothered to reassure or advise the local people about the mast? Why didn't Maggie Mansell put her argument about radiation from the sun or her experiences in Selsdon on a leaflet and circulate it? One probable answer which I have continued to highlight in my correspondence is the fact that Selhurst ward, where the mast will be erected, is a safe Labour seat. If councillors are not looking over their shoulders in fear of losing their £10,200 annual salary, not including other increments, then it's almost human nature to become complacent OR in other words take voters for granted. N.B. there are THREE Labour councillors in Selhurst ward.

This video summarises what has happened:




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Tags croydon, greenparty

Two further letters regarding the phone mast

These letters appeared in the Croydon Guardian on 10th November. Very kind of Jim Clugston to send a response too.

Text for my letter is below:

Dear Editor,

In response to my letter on Labour councillors taking their voters for granted in Selhurst, Councillor Gerry Ryan has offered sections of his ‘appointments diary’. I might remind him that the residents in the ward that he is elected to represent were against the now approved application to erect a mobile phone mast directly opposite one nursery and across the road from another, especially as the OFCOM report advises a precautionary approach to masts near schools. If Selhurst had an active residents’ association there would no doubt have been a coordinated campaign to oppose the mast. In the absence of such organisations, it is incumbent on our paid councillors to have a sense of duty to empower the residents. Therefore, are we to infer from Councillors Ryan’s letter that he and the other two Labour councillors were too busy to represent their anxious constituents? Alternatively, are the councillors safe in the knowledge they can do what takes their fancy trusting they can continue to take Labour voters in the safe seat of Selhurst for granted? Knocking on doors galvanising support for a campaign may not be as glamorous as having meetings in the town hall but it needs to be done.

Clearly the election he and his Labour colleagues most need to win is not the local council election, but in fact the ballot of forty odd Labour members who reside in Selhurst to win the nomination. Arguably, if we had proportional representation elected politicians would be compelled to be more active.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Correspondence re Councillor Ryan's letter - Part one.

A few people have contacted me about Councillor Ryan's letter.
The first thing I want to make clear is that I am not singling out Councillor Ryan. The purpose of my letter was to point out that none of the three Selhurst Labour councillors did a thing about the proposed mobile phone mast. If Councillor Ryan feels, that I "have no realistic idea of how a political party works either in power or in opposition", then that says to me that he is completing missing the point. Yes a councillor must do the town hall politics, BUT he must also serve the residents who live in the ward that elected him, especially if there is no active resident association.
Big thanks to Paul Macey for his letter, and before anyone asks, it wasn't prompted - I had no idea he was going to send it in. It is quite humbling.
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Tags croydon, greenparty

Councillor Gerry Ryan responds.

Councillor Gerry Ryan responds to my letter.




















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Tags croydon, greenparty

Letter on mobile phone masts

08.10.10

Dear Editor,

I was recently one of five hundred households to receive a letter from Croydon Council advising me of plans to erect a mobile phone mast outside Boulogne Road Recreation Ground. Despite an OFCOM report advising a precautionary approach to mobile phone masts around schools, the mobile phone operators have chosen a spot outside one nursery and across the road from another.

When I lodged an objection via the online planning portal I noticed that only four other objections had been registered. Yet when chatting with neighbours I became acutely aware that many people were very unhappy about this situation. Work commitments meant that I had limited time, nevertheless I notified your paper, organised a demo and collected signatures for a petition. However, a few days later I was dismayed to receive a letter saying that the application had been approved.

It is clear to me that if we had collected a thousand signatures we could have applied enough pressure on the council to throw out this application and ask the mobile phone operators to find an alternative location.

The area around Boulogne Road is not a hotbed of community activism: there is no active residents association on the scale of Spring Park, for example, and people around here seem to feel powerless. Hence, it is incumbent on Selhurst’s Labour councillors, who are paid to represent us, to ensure our views are not ignored. They would have known about this planning application but they did nothing - hardly surprising since they have been elected in a safe Labour ward and hence have a job for life. They can depend on habitual Labour voters to re-elect them regardless.

Yours sincerely

Shasha Khan

Croydon Green Party

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Tags croydon, greenparty

A mobile phone mast to be erected adjacent to two nurseries.

Upon receiving a letter from the council about a proposed mobile phone mast around the corner, I decided to view the application online. The location map accompanying the application identifies the site as being opposite a pre-school and yards from a nursery.

There is evidence to suggest that mobile phone masts are safe. There is also some evidence to suggest the contrary. The Stewart Report which can be found on OFCOM's sitefinder website (an initiative recommended by the report) advises a 'precautionary approach', and has a section on base stations around schools. The report states:

We suggest therefore that a better approach would be to require that the beam of greatest RF intensity (see paragraph 4.32) from a macrocell base station sited within the grounds of a school should not be permitted to fall on any part of the school grounds or buildings without agreement from the school and parents.

Indeed some countries forbid the erection of base stations on sensitive locations, such as schools. Additionally, if a child uses a mobile phone whilst adjacent to a mobile phone mast then the power directed to the mobile phone from the mast is that much greater.

When considering all of the above I decided to lodge an objection and raise awareness of what was being proposed.

Comment sent to local papers:

"Mobile phone masts have become part of our cityscape. We all use mobile phones. Nevertheless, that should not mean masts can be erected almost anywhere, especially in front of two nurseries. The Stewart report that appears on OFCOM's web site recommends the precautionary principle until gaps in scientific knowledge are filled. That is why we feel the mobile phone operators should find an alternative location. However, to do this we need the Planning Committee to reject this application. The mums and dads and local residents urge them to throw it out"

Despite the objections I received this reply:

Dear Sir/Madam,


Application No:- 10/02698/DT Applicant:- Vodafone Ltd and Telefonica O2 UK Ltd

Details of Application: Erection of 11.5 metre high telecommunication mast with 6 antennas attached and ancillary equipment housing at: Boulogne Road Recreation Ground, Boulogne Road,
Croydon, CR0 2QT

With reference to the correspondence about the application described above, I write to inform you that the Council has reached the following decision on the proposal:

Decision: Approved

Please note that a schedule will be shown overleaf if any conditions/reasons or informatives are part of the decision.

Please quote the application number in any future correspondence.

Yours sincerely,

Rory Macleod
Head of Planning Control

I have since sent the comment below to the papers:

"This is a liberty too far. Given that the OFCOM' report advises a precautionary approach to mobile phone masts, especially around schools, I feel the council may have underestimated the risk. There is no doubt in my mind I could have collected 1000 signatures if I had the time. Sadly due to work commitments, I couldn't devote enough time to this campaign. If we had collected 1000 signatures for our petition, maybe then the council would have recognised the strength of feeling about this proposal.

"As usual the three Labour councillors have done nothing. They should be ashamed of themselves. They are paid to represent the residents in Selhurst but because they have been elected in a safe Labour ward they can sit back knowing they'll be re-elected in four years time. If they had come out to speak to the residents, as I did, they would have known the anger that everyone feels about this mast.

"It will be an absolutely tragedy if in the future we find the science behind the health effects of mobile phones and masts has been suppressed, as it was for cigarettes. It is important to remember that mobile phone operators contribute billions of pounds to the government through taxation every year. With that comes massive lobbying power.

"As I have only just received the council's response, I will seek advice and speak with the local residents and parents about what we should do next."

The Croydon Advertiser has been running a story about our campaign and today reported on the decision.

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Tags croydon, greenparty