A TELEPHONE company is ringing the changes to its plans to erect a 50 foot high mobile phone mast in Heaton . . . but is still engaged in battle with angry residents. BT Cellnet is spending more money than originally planned to redesign its proposal for the mast at Heaton Cricket Club, in the face of strong objections from families living nearby. Instead of the traditional lattice line structure, the company intends to put in a flag pole design next to the pavilion of the Cricket Club. Cabinets containing the electronics required will be camouflaged with greenery.

However, this has not appeased residents, who fear the close proximity of the pole to their homes in Church Road, Smithills Drive and Lower Pools could cause health problems, as well as blight the view.

Health issue

But they cannot lobby the council for help as the controversial mast does not need planning permission.

A spokesman for the campaigning residents told the BEN: "No one in a position to do anything has ever conceded to me that the health issue is of any primary concern in spite of growing public concern, scientific research linking masts to ill health, lobbying in Parliament, the setting up of a House of Commons select committee on the health implications of masts, the decision of some councils to ban them from public areas where they have a power to do so, and a plethora of reports in newspapers including the BEN.

"At present it seems then that no one is seriously concerned about the health of my two-year-old boy and other children living within a football kick of the mast and those in two nearby schools.

"Will it take an outbreak of disease and consequent deaths among children living near these things before the Government finally sees sense and halts new sitings until we know more about microwave radiation emissions, or until the recently discovered new technology using small cigarette packet sized, very low emitting apparatus comes on line?

"If so I fear that such an outbreak of common sense could come too late for my little boy.

"Who is winning in the battle between the value of human life verses business interests as we near the Millennium?"

But a spokesman for BT Cellnet replied: "The steps we have taken to change from a traditional lattice line structure is due to the feedback we initially received from the residents.

"It is more expensive,0 but will make the site a lot less visually obtrusive."

And on the health issue, he added: "We would like to assure people we use all low powered devices. At the transmitter level the power output is 100 watts, the same as a light bulb.

"And at the base the levels are 100 times below those set out in the safety guidelines set out by the National Radiological Protection body.

"I would like to assure residents there is absolutely no reason to be concerned about their safety."

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