Phone masts

Ards Borough Council did not have the information requested.

July 16 2008

Dear Sir/Madam,

Recently I read an alarming report from the BBC concerning mobile phone masts which were erected after blunders by councils in England.

Legislation allows mobile phone companies to assume masts below 15m in height have been given planning approval if they do not hear in writing from a council within 56 days. The council is legally obliged to write to the companies within the given time, outlining whether the mast actually needs prior approval and whether or not the council objects to its siting and appearance.

On 68 occasions, councils in southern England have fallen foul of a legal loophole allowing masts to be approved if an operator is not sent an answer within that set time limit. In 39 of those cases, the council had intended to object to the application.

A catalogue of errors has been uncovered across southern England by the BBC. They include decisions being sent by second-class mail instead of first, letters being given the wrong date-stamp, officers calculating the time period incorrectly, the wrong decision notices being sent out and officers forgetting to state clearly enough that the application had actually been refused. This concerns this correspondent greatly.

I am therefore requesting that your council provides me with a full disclosure on issues relating to this most serious matter under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I request the following specific information:

- How many instances (if at all) did your council allow masts to be approved because an operator was not sent an answer within that set time limit
- Full details in relation to each instance (if any) as mentioned in part one, including the size, height, and location of each mast, the identity of the operator, and why each operator was not sent an answer within the set time limit
- Whether the council intended to object to each mast referred to in part two

This Act established a legal right of access to information held by public bodies and I believe the full disclosure of such material is in the public interest and is essential for maintaining public confidence and accountability in our local services.

I would therefore request a full disclosure in line with the aforementioned act, within the statutory 20 day limit.

Sincerely,
Concerned

Ards Borough Council

I am out of the office until 17/07/2008.

Ursula Mezza
Public Relations Officer

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Dear Sir

please find a response to your Freedom of Information request.

Yours faithfully

Mary Hanna
Equality/Compliance Officer