STAFF and pupils at a leading Liverpool high school have urged the city council’s planning committee to reject plans for a 58ft high mobile phone mast on the grass verge outside their school.
Although the council continues to ban phone companies from placing masts within educational premises and on council premises, the rule does not apply on the other side of school fences.
The prohibition was imposed by the council some years ago amid concerns over the risks to health of exposing children to radiation emitted by mobile phone technology.
Scientists are divided on the issue, leading to calls for a cautionary approach to be applied.
Despite the plea from St Margaret’s Academy in Aigburth Road, council planning managers are urging the planning committee to approve the application by Vodafone at its meeting on Tuesday(February 18).
It means the mast will be just a few feet away from the school’s busy playing fields.
The principal of St Margaret’s Church of England Academy, Stephen Brierley, has objected on behalf of governors, staff and pupils at the school. He says the school considered a mast on their own land but took professional advice regarding the risk to health of staff and students but were unable to secure an assurance that there would be no risk in the future.
“There is therefore uncertainty of health and safety concerns relating to 1200 members of the school when on the sports field which is immediately adjacent to the proposed mast,” says the head teacher.
Mossley Hill Lib Dem Councillor Tina Gould has also objected to the mast, along with nine local residents, citing risks to health of mobile phone waves.
In 2012 planning officers turned down an application for the existing nearby mast, but the decision was overturned on appeal to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
In a report to this week’s meeting planning managers say current rules make it almost impossible to reject applications for phone masts on health grounds if installations comply with laid down levels for the level of non ionising radiation emitted. The proposed mast complies with the regulations.
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: “It is still our policy not to allow mobile phone masts on council buildings or school premises”
