3g-g
19th April 2005, 06:36 PM
Yet more problems for the 3G networks, this time it's T-Mobile on the receiving end...
Reported by Manchester Evening News Online.
CONTROVERSIAL plans by a church to pocket £5,000 a year by allowing four mobile phone masts to be erected on its roof - close to two primary schools - have been put on hold.
St John's, in Heaton Mersey, Stockport, faced a barrage of protests from the local community when the proposal was revealed last year.
At a heated public meeting, concerned families even offered to match the phone companies' offer of £5,000 a year if the church scrapped the plans for the T Mobile 3G masts.
To their amazement that proposal was rejected after a meeting of the Parochial Church Council. Campaigners decided to step up the fight and pledged to protest outside the church every Sunday.
There have been growing fears about the possible health risks of mobile phone masts, especially near schools. Many of the protesters have children at either nearby Stella Maris or St John's CoE Primary schools.
Hasty
But on the day the church was due to sign the deal, the Rev Marcus Maxwell of St John's admitted it had been "a bit hasty" in rejecting the community's bid to meet T Mobile's offer.
He told the M.E.N. the church would rethink the plan, although he did not rule out the possibility that the masts will still be erected on the roof of the Grade II-listed building.
Rev Maxwell said: "We don't want people to think we are saying `give us your money or we will microwave your kids' but I would very much like to revisit the idea of working with the community and looking at fundraising. If we thought there was a risk we wouldn't put them up. There is no comprehensive research to suggest antennae are dangerous."
Mother-of-three Lynda Lacey was one of the residents who was prepared to set up a standing order to the church. Mrs Lacey, 35, said: "It's good news that the church has decided to look at this again. I feel very strongly about this and I am prepared to stand outside the church every Sunday and make my feelings known. Nobody can say for definite these masts are safe.
Reported by Manchester Evening News Online.
CONTROVERSIAL plans by a church to pocket £5,000 a year by allowing four mobile phone masts to be erected on its roof - close to two primary schools - have been put on hold.
St John's, in Heaton Mersey, Stockport, faced a barrage of protests from the local community when the proposal was revealed last year.
At a heated public meeting, concerned families even offered to match the phone companies' offer of £5,000 a year if the church scrapped the plans for the T Mobile 3G masts.
To their amazement that proposal was rejected after a meeting of the Parochial Church Council. Campaigners decided to step up the fight and pledged to protest outside the church every Sunday.
There have been growing fears about the possible health risks of mobile phone masts, especially near schools. Many of the protesters have children at either nearby Stella Maris or St John's CoE Primary schools.
Hasty
But on the day the church was due to sign the deal, the Rev Marcus Maxwell of St John's admitted it had been "a bit hasty" in rejecting the community's bid to meet T Mobile's offer.
He told the M.E.N. the church would rethink the plan, although he did not rule out the possibility that the masts will still be erected on the roof of the Grade II-listed building.
Rev Maxwell said: "We don't want people to think we are saying `give us your money or we will microwave your kids' but I would very much like to revisit the idea of working with the community and looking at fundraising. If we thought there was a risk we wouldn't put them up. There is no comprehensive research to suggest antennae are dangerous."
Mother-of-three Lynda Lacey was one of the residents who was prepared to set up a standing order to the church. Mrs Lacey, 35, said: "It's good news that the church has decided to look at this again. I feel very strongly about this and I am prepared to stand outside the church every Sunday and make my feelings known. Nobody can say for definite these masts are safe.