Crunch TETRA decision due (From Stroud News and Journal)

Crunch TETRA decision due

CAMPAIGNERS fighting the controversial Tetra system now have an agonising wait to find out if they have won their battle .

A heated four-day public appeal inquiry ended on Friday, against a backdrop of rows at Ebley Mill.

Stroud District Council has turned down plans to site Tetra masts at Stroud police station, Selsley Common and Wotton-under-Edge.

But the council pulled out of any further fight after losing its appeal over a Tetra mast at Rodborough Common last month.

Several leading councillors demanded to know why Stroud District Council had pulled out of defending its stance against TETRA at the last minute and even offered to support the applications if called to.

"We caved in and gave up a week before we were due to give evidence," fumed Cllr John Marjoram (Green, Trinity) at the council's meeting on Thursday.

SDC told the campaigners it would make the point that the council is still concerned over TETRA. But the council also told the appellants' solicitor it would not offer any evidence in opposition and would support the appeals if asked by the inspector heading the inquiry.

SDC solicitor Mike Rowan explained that he and senior officers and members had acted in the council's best interests. The council's position was deemed 'unreasonable' and costs were awarded against it.

The News & Journal understood those costs to be around £20,000 but Mr Rowan told the meeting that they were likely to be around £50,000, plus SDC's expenses.

Cllr Brian Addle (Lab, Cam) said he had never seen a decision like it in nearly 40 years of council service.

"As district councillors it's up to us to support people in what they think is right," he said.

The masts comply to International Commission for Non Ionising Radiation guidelines and at the summing up of the inquiry on Friday, Trevor Blaney for appellants Medlock, Transco Spectrasite and Airwave mm02 said that health concerns were not a material concern for SDC to rule on when it rejected the applications last year.

"The emission levels amount to tiny fractions of the ICNIRP guidelines," he said.

Lynne Edmunds, of Stroud Area Residents Against Harmful Radiation said not enough is known on TETRA's safety and residents were worried about living with a mast so close to their homes.

"If you can't feel safe at home," she told the inquiry. "Where can you?"