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Last Words
Residents’ fury at phone mast plan
This Is London Calling
25/05/2003
Residents are up in arms over plans for a 45ft Orange mobile phone mast in the grounds of the Hailey Bury Rugby and Football Club in Ruxley Lane, Ewell.
They say the unsightly mast will lower the value of their houses and could pose health threats to their children.
They have already deluged Orange with letters and a petition and last night they met with Epsom MP Chris Grayling and local councillors to air their views and to plan their next course of action.
Ainsley de Robbillard, who lives in Ruxley Lane, said: "I have a granddaughter who is six and she wants to go out and play.
"We are quite concerned from her health point of view. We don't want to expose her to any risk and she spends quite a lot of time at our house while her parents are at work.
"As I come out of my house my skyline would show a big mast with antennas coming out of it and that is a visual intrusion into my space.
"Not only would it devalue my house, it is going to put a blight on my house because nobody with any sense would buy a house where there is this potential health risk."
Les Hanshaw, who lives in Pams Way, said: "I think they are unsightly things. There are plenty of other places where they could put them."
If the plans go ahead, it will be the second mast in this area.
In December 1998, a mast was erected by BT Cellnet, now 02, without any prior notification to residents.
Epsom MP Chris Grayling is pushing for that mast to be removed, and is appalled that another mast is being planned.
He said: "The existing mast is the most badly sited mast I have every seen. We are trying to persuade BT Cellnet to move it."
Ewell Court ward Councillor Jean Smith campaigned against the BT mast when it was first installed. She and her fellow ward councillors are now taking steps to discourage the new plan.
She said: "We are concerned about the residents views and we have asked them to write to us so we can write a councillors' response to the company.
"The phone companies are consulting but that does not mean they will take any notice of what people say."
However, a spokeswoman for Orange denied the consultation was nothing more than a PR stunt.
She said: "This site has been identified because of technical requirements for coverage for the area.
"There is an existing communications structure there and under government planning guidance we are advised to share sites where appropriate.
"We are taking on board the concerns of residents and we are happy to meet them but we have to balance that with the needs of our customers."
Meanwhile in Banstead, two applications for masts were
refused permission by Reigate and Banstead Council planning committee on Wednesday night.
The original article at appeared at This Is London Calling
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