Residents to have 'One2One' with telecoms giant (From Stroud News and Journal)

Residents to have 'One2One' with telecoms giant

CONCERNED residents have set up a crunch meeting for today with communications giant One2One, in a bid to move the site for a controversial mobile phone mast away from homes.

The community has been galvanised by the events of the past ten days, when several residents used their cars to blockade the site next to the IMO car wash on Westward Road, Ebley.

They believed that the mast was being installed without planning permission, only to discover that under old planning rules, One2One had played by the book when it told the council it wanted to put the mast up nearly two years ago.

So at a public meeting attended by more than 70 anxious Ebley residents on Wednesday night, it was decided to take up One2One's offer of talks on the mast.

"We feel an air of caution should be used when positioning these masts," said one parent. "It's just too close."

Cainscross Residents Against Harmful Radiation has been formed to fight the mast and members hope to persuade One2One to reconsider its siting, which would be above several industrial units, 200 metres from St Matthews School and on the other side of Westward Road from homes.

Parents fear that radiation from the mast could pose health risks to them and their children but One2One has told the News & Journal that emissions from similar masts comply to National Radiological Protection Board and World Health Organisation guidelines and are lower than those emitted from household appliances.

It says it needs the mast to improve coverage in an ever-expanding mobile phone market.

On Thursday evening, Cllr Bob Eccles (Lab, Cainscross) presented a 300 signature petition to Stroud District Council cabinet, signed by residents, who said they should have been consulted on the mast.

On Monday Cainscross Parish Council voted to write to One2One, asking it to reconsider the siting of the mast.

Another public meeting has been arranged for this evening at 6pm in St Matthews Church Hall, to discuss One2One's response to the community's request to reconsider.