Hundreds join mast petition

The organisers of two petitions against the telecoms structures presented them to MP Nick Gibb as part of their campaigns.

One petition contained 456 names against the T-Mobile proposals for an 11.7 metre high mast on Chichester Road at its junction with Merrion Avenue, outside Carousel Court.

Arun District Council's development control committee is due to consider the plans this afternoon (Thursday).A recommendation from the council's planning officers says no objection should be raised to the scheme.

The pole would be sited among other street furniture such as a bus shelter, seat and various road signs, the report says.

It comments: 'The proposed equipment would not therefore be seen as a prominent or isolated feature in the street scene.'

The other petition was given to Mr Gibb, the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, by residents of The Parade in Pagham.

They are faced with a mast, for the 3 network run by Hutchi3son, being sited on top of their masionettes above the shops. No formal plans have yet been revealed. This petition featured 424 signatures.

Both campaigns have been featured in the Observer.

Mr Gibb warned that mobile phone companies risked losing peoples' backing if they continued to submit plans for mast after mast.

'The mobile phone industry are piling in large numbers of applications for new phone masts even in areas where the reception on our mobile phones is perfectly fine,' he stated.

'Some of these masts are for new 3G technology but I believe the companies need to make greater efforts to site them in areas away from residential parts of the town.

'There are plenty of semi-industrial areas near Merrion Avenue and I believe it is highly unsatisfactory to put a mobile phone mast on a flat roof of someone's home, just a few metres above their ceiling.'