Diocese of Lichfield Responds to Mobile Phone Mast Protests
The Church of England's Diocese of Lichfield has spoken up on mobile phone masts in a bid to pacify tensions after two separate demonstrations were held against mobile phone base stations in the Black Country.
Posted: Monday, June 25, 2007, 9:05 (BST)
The Church of England's Diocese of Lichfield has spoken up on mobile phone masts in a bid to pacify tensions after two separate demonstrations were held against mobile phone base stations in the Black Country.
Around 60 protestors recently blockaded a church in Wednesbury to voice their objection to a possible mast planned for the tower of St Francis of Assisi Church in Friars Park.
Protests have also been made against a mast to be installed shortly at the King's School in Wolverhampton.
The Director of Communications for the Diocese of Lichfield, Gavin Drake, said many of the protests are based on misinformation not only in respect of the effect on people's health, but also about the status of both sites.
He affirmed that there had been a mobile phone base station at The King's School in Wolverhampton for the past seven years. "All that is happening now is that the phone company wish to replace this with a newer mast," he said.
The local authority planning department initially rejected the application before the planning inspectorate later approved it on appeal. The replacement mast will now be installed in the next few months.
Mr Drake went on to allay suspicions that the Diocese of Lichfield has a financial interest in the King's School mast.
"Protestors have claimed that the mast has been forced through by the Diocese of Lichfield because we receive £70,000 a year from it. Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.
He assured that mobile phone companies pay a rental or lease fee of between £3,000 and £9,000 a year depending on the site and other conditions, although he refused to divulge how much the sites in question was receiving from the mobile phone operator.
"I am happy to confirm that the Diocese of Lichfield does not receive a penny from the mast at the school - all the money received is used by the school for the benefit of their students."
Copyright © 2007 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Monday, July 16, 2007, 14:33 (BST)
There was a public meeting on Thursday 12th July to express concerns about the proposed mast at st. francis church.
The residents of Friar Park hope that that Gavin drake, Mike Clark and Bob Jackson listened, and took on board, our concerns.
Please may we draw your attention to the following FACTS
REF: World-News Independent Media Source…
Over 1000 independent studies, linking phone masts electro magnetic radiation with serious ill health including cancer, confirm that masts should not be sited within 350 metres of schools or housing. Phone operators dismiss such research, alleging that their own studies suggest no health risk. However last month the national press revealed that T-Mobile covered up the damaging results of their own research. The Ecology Institute, a research organisation which examines the health effects of mobile phones, was commissioned by T-Mobile to investigate the possible health risks of mobile phone masts. The 2003 Ecology report confirmed:
‘Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer. This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system”
———-
At the meeting on Thursday night a Mr Mike Clark from the health protection agency would like us to believe there where no health risks, yet he wouldn’t personally grantee it, yet he made the following statement below…
REF: Statement by Mike Clark science spokesman on 8th march 2004 “there is little doubt that some people are affected by the presence of masts in their neighbourhoods. This is real and not imaginary.”
———-
Rev Paul Hawthorne, the
Diocesan environmental officer wanted to come and talk with Friar Park residents and stated “The key initial issue to me is whether there are many residential or
Child-orientated buildings within the area of influence of the mast… are in general nervous about applications involving
Churches and was involved in lobbying for tighter restrictions”
Why was Rev Paul Hawthorne, Diocesan environmental officer refused permission by the church to attend the meeting?
———-
There is a real risk to health, and the proposed mast should not be sited in a church, which should be used as a place of worship.
The aerial would also facilitate the access to pornography and on-line gambling and this in itself is inconsistent with the Christian church.
The church should reject the said mast, and once again take its place as a caring neighbour in the local community
The european convention on human rights states in article 8 “the right to peaceful enjoyment of your home”, and do not parents have to right to protect not only themselves, but most importantally their children’s health to?
one last point, why does Gavin Drake continually lie about the protesters being a baying mob? The police on duty didn't even issue one single warning to any of the PEACEFUL protesters.
Mr Drake is a communications officer for the church, and he should refrain from making remarks that are simply not true.
Not only does he seem intent on forcing this phone mast on this community, he see fits to try and discredit the people on Friar Park to.....simply unacceptable behaviour
Residents of Friar Park, Wednesbury
Added: Monday, June 25, 2007, 14:09 (BST)
The only misinformation is coming out of QS4. There is so much scientific evidence that living near a mast leads to an increase in ill health and even cancer. But the mobile phone industry has so much money and influence over the media that the real science remains mostly buried. There are so many unpublicised studies if you look for them. Occasionally some real information gets through like last month T-Mobile were exposed for having covered up evidence of links between mobile phone radiation and cancer. It was lucky that the scientists themselves decided to go public, especially if you consider the pressure probably put on them to stay quiet. I would ask everyone reading this to please sign the following petition to force this government to acknowledge the truth about this scandalous situation: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/PhoneMasts/. Thank you.
Simon Densley, London
