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Phone mast will stay after ‘Pull it down’ move fails
10:59am Wednesday 25th April 2007
Comments (10)A GOVERNMENT planning inspector has quashed a move by Bolton Council to force a telecommunications giant to remove a 47ft mobile phone mast.
T-Mobile erected the mast on the footpath next to the Shell petrol station and in front of Tonge Cricket Club, in Crompton Way, last year.
The mast is designed to provide coverage to Crompton, Bradshaw, Hall i'th' Wood and areas around Tonge Moor.
A mix-up led to T-Mobile believing it had been granted permission to install the equipment so it erected the mast.
The council refused to give retrospective permission and ordered the company to pull down the mast as well as remove three equipment cabinets, claiming they were a potential hazard.
T-Mobile appealed against the decision and a hearing was held in front of government inspector Paul Taylor. In his formal ruling, Mr Taylor quashed the council's enforcement notice.
A council spokesman said: "It was unfortunate that the inspector did not agree with the council's evidence on this matter. We were of the view that the mobile phone mast blocked the pavement on Crompton Way in a fashion that might have affected users of the footway and highway.
"The council will continue to deal with the many applications from mobile phone operators in a way that best protects the communities of Bolton."
Cllr Nick Peel, chairman of the planning and highways committee at Bolton Council said: "We try to encourage the companies to erect masts to the minimum height and where possible to mast-share."
Graeme Mitchell, Bolton's group planning officer, said: "The mast obstructs the view of people crossing the road at that point, and vehicles would not get a good view of them."
The council argued the equipment narrowed the path and prevented pedestrians passing each other safely.
James Bevis, who represents T-Mobile, said: "Pedestrians would stand close to the kerb and the mast would not obstruct the view."
Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire
Bolly, 304-842 says...
1:34pm Wed 25 Apr 07
GRAHAM, Bolton says...
7:30pm Wed 25 Apr 07
andrea, bolton says...
10:27pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Geoff, says...
10:42pm Wed 25 Apr 07
I suspect they are a result of the inspectors ruling
It did block the pavement to such a degree a wheel chair or large pram had difficulty passing
ANDREA It looks nothing like a lamp post try cleaning your glasses
BOLLY interesting point but then again
when was the last time a petrol station exploded because of a mobile phone
Ian Upton, Bolton & London says...
12:42am Thu 26 Apr 07
andrea wrote:Yes it's a disgrace that street lamps all look the same how dare they..
come on it looks like a lamp post people would complain if they could not get a signal on their mobile phones. if you look at the mast there is not a problem but they complain about the electric mast 200 yards away behind peoples homes. these complainers need to get their proirties right and get a life what are they going to complain about next street lights because they look the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In fact we should not only have diversity laws amongst street lamps but we should employed someone perhaps a street lamp diversity officer on £30K a year to enforce it and make sure that there are different street lamps in all areas.
My priority is complaining.
Look on the brighter side of complaining.
Entertainment :-
It get reduced ticket prices at BWFC.
Added extras :-
Cook spit in your meal at the resturaunt where you sent food back.
Health & Wellbeing:
It gets you ego..
You don't get paranoid about people who point at you and say to their friends that's the moaning old barstweward as you just think your famous.
Complaining get you lots of nice things and makes for an exciting life.
David Ward, Bolton says...
12:13pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Where you place your handset with its little aerial and the hansdet which you speak to. You don't worry about that. Neither have worried about TV broadcasting using radio waves for years over greater distances. Just food for thought!!
Bolly, Bolton says...
4:06pm Thu 26 Apr 07
That's just my point. There has been no recorded explosions at petrol stations due to mobile phone use. Same with interference on planes and in hospitals. We are daily bombarded with various radio waves whether there is the equipment there to receive them or not. It's all stuff and nonsense.
Chris, says...
4:09pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Bolly wrote:Nothing to do with rasio waves interfering with their equipment. It's because a small eletrical charge is ommittted when you receive a call. Electric, petrol, draw your own conclusions.
MMhh Interesting.. Petrol forecourts have signs to tell people not to use their mobile phones while filling - sin't this because the radio waves interfere with their equipment - well what about the high powered waves emitted by that transmitter???
Bolly, Bolton says...
11:47am Fri 27 Apr 07
Chris wrote:And there's a massive charge omitted when you start up a car's engine...
Bolly wrote: MMhh Interesting.. Petrol forecourts have signs to tell people not to use their mobile phones while filling - sin\'t this because the radio waves interfere with their equipment - well what about the high powered waves emitted by that transmitter???Nothing to do with rasio waves interfering with their equipment. It\'s because a small eletrical charge is ommittted when you receive a call. Electric, petrol, draw your own conclusions.
here to stay: The phone mast on the footpath in Crompton Way
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Ian Upton, Bolton & London says...
11:21am Wed 25 Apr 07
Forgive my observations from the photo and I'm really against these phone mast just being put everywhere BUT please stop showing yourselves up to be muppets.
I don't know about but MR MITCHELL must have some magical power to walk through a set of railings placed either side of the mast.
No wonder they lost the argument.
Oh and if someone comes along and says the railings were put there after then WHO in the council gave them permission to put them there?
Absolute numpties.
If your going to argue the case against at least do it AFTER SEEING THE site.