School mast fears (From Stroud News and Journal)

School mast fears

PLANS to site a 3G phone mast yards from a Stonehouse special school have caused uproar among residents and campaigners who have branded it a health hazard.

Parents and staff at the Shrubberies School are among those who have spoken out amid fears that radiation from the mast could trigger epileptic fits and make children unwell.

"We should not really be using children who already have enough to deal with in life as guinea pigs," said Shrubberies head Jane Jones. "There is a lot of concern from the parents."

Despite the worries it looks likely the outcome of the application will be decided by an officer instead of going before Ebley Mill's planning committee. Bill Jackson, chair of governors at the Shrubberies, urged more than 70 worried parents to write to council planners outlining their fears.

"We have 10 children who have epilepsy and we do not know how many are just below the threshold," he said. "It is my job to make sure parents are aware of the possible problems.

"Some parents have said they will take their children out of the school if these masts are put up."

Hutchison 3G, the company behind the application, argues there is no conclusive evidence to link the very low-powered radiation from phone masts with ill-health and claims it has redirected the antennae to minimise the amount of radiation directed towards the school.

"We have not been able to find anything else that is suitable for the coverage we need in the Stonehouse area," said spokesman Mike Dobson on Monday.

But mast campaigner Lynne Edmunds from the Mast Sanity pressure group quoted research by radiation expert Dr Gerard Hyland indicating that the radiation increased the severity and frequency of epileptic fits. She also claimed that more masts could be built in the area if this application was successful.

"I have never come across a worse planning application," she told the SNJ. "It is monstrous. There is no guarantee that the children will be safe. What kind of society is this where we cannot look after our children?"

Town mayor and ward district councillor Mattie Ross also said she was concerned about the application, especially as it was so close to a special school.

We must err on the side of caution," she said, "especially when it is so close to any school, leave alone a special school. I am concerned."