AGENDA ITEM 20

BOROUGH OF POOLE

CABINET

12 DECEMBER 2005

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER (ODPM) RESPONSE TO LETTER REGARDING HEALTH RISKS OF MOBILE PHONE MASTS: REPORT OF THE HEAD OF PLANNING DESIGN AND CONTROL SERVICES

Purpose of Report

To provide members with a summary of the response received from Yvette Cooper MP, Minister for Housing and Planning through Robert Syms M.P to a letter sent by this Council in July requesting clarity as to whether perceived health risks can be taken into account when deciding planning applications for mobile phone masts.

Summary of Response

  • The Minister refers the Borough of Poole to the central government guidance - PPG 8 Telecommunications and the Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development.
  • PPG8 states that health considerations and public concern can, in principle, be material considerations in determining planning and prior approval applications. However, whilst it is the case that local planning authorities determine what is material or not, PPG8 does clearly state that if the mobile phone base station does meet the international guidelines for public exposure (ICNIRP) then it is not necessary for local planning authorities to give further consideration to the health aspects.
  • The international guidelines have been developed to protect everyone in the population who works and lives near or around a base station. The International Commission (ICNIRP) is an international body that puts considerable effort into developing comprehensive reviews on exposure guidelines. The Members of ICNIRP are experts in their field and are supported by a number of standing committees on epidemiology, biology, physics and optics. The organisation also works closely with the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for Research and Cancer (IARC).
  • The Stewart Report did not recommend that the erection of masts be prohibited near to schools. It did recommend that the beam of greatest intensity should not fall on any part of the schools grounds or buildings without consent from the parents and school.
  • The Government has taken the Stewart Report’s advice on board and, through PPG8, there is a requirement on Operators wishing to erect masts near to schools that they consult with the school before the submission of a planning or prior approval application.
  • The Department for Education and Skills has issued advice to local education authorities stating that if parents or the school wish to know where the beam of greatest intensity falls then they must contact the Operator of the base station and if concern arises from the level of intensity then the school or parents could ask the Operator to adjust the antenna.
  • The Stewart Report also recommends auditing of emissions from base stations. OFCOM has measured the exposure levels from over 400 base stations in the UK and most have found to be thousands of times below the guidelines.
  • ‘I can assure you that the Government is keeping the whole area of mobile phone technologies under review in the light of further research.’ (Yvette Cooper MP).

PETER WATSON

HEAD OF PLANNING DESIGN AND CONTROL SERVICES

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