THE Shadow Environment Secretary Archie Norman has pledged that if the Tories get back in to power they will ensure that 'all those (masts) within 15 yards of a private property would have to request full planning permission'.

This suggestion demonstrates exactly how little the politicians know about the effects of these masts.

The accepted safest distance is to be directly under the mast. Irradiation fans out with the first beams hitting the ground on a 15m high mast at 30m.

Some countries have between 500-1,000m exclusion zones around masts. The minimum acceptable exclusion zone in this country should be 300m. However, I am not suggesting that guarantees the public's safety.

If the Tories, or indeed any political party want to turn phone masts in to an election issue, then they need to talk about the following as a bare minimum.

An exclusion zone around all masts of 300m to the nearest private property and any sensitive installations such as schools, hospitals and doctors' surgeries.

Full local consultation on all applications, with third party rights of appeal against decisions to a public inquiry.

A physical barrier around all masts, with internationally recognised warning signs on 4m high perimeter fences.

All masts to be subject to the full planning process.

All applications for permission to be subject to a sequential test approach, culminating in a clear obligation on operators to demonstrate the need for any given site over that of others in the same locality. Within that sequential approach the first obligation of operators would be to demonstrate that all existing sites (including those of other operators) have been taken in to account and demonstrated as not viable before they can move further through the planning process.

All new regulations and procedures to be applied to existing masts with the right of local authorities to reconsider those that do not comply with the new regulations.

The Environment Agency to be given the power to police masts to ensure they are only allowed to emit the permitted levels of irradiation.

Heavy fines for any phone operator that allows masts to exceed the permitted levels of exposure in any one day.

Government funding of a research project to the tune of 50 per cent of the income from the sale of licences.

A moratorium on the erection of any more masts until such time as the above procedures are put in to place.

I do not suggest that policies such as these are the be all and end all. It would though go some way towards redressing the present system that is causing so much stress to so many local communities.

The Campaign for Planning Society (CfPS) is now receiving between 15-20 enquiries a week from concerned local communities nationally -- three times more than any other type of development.

Archie Norman, and indeed politicians of all parties need to start considering their constituents instead of putting forward policies that are more than useless in an attempt to steal a headline and thereby gain a few more votes.

CfPS has a briefing available for local communities needing help fighting phone masts, copies are available one our web site http://www.onlincam.freeserve.co.uk or from ringing 0161 959 0999.

Chris Maile

Chairman, CfPS