Mobile phone masts

The request was refused by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Can you please provide details of all planning applications or request in for erection of further new 4g and 5g masts in and around West Kirby.
Can you please also provide information to show that Wirral council and the Mobile phone mast companies have undertaken risk assesments before the granting of permission for such Mast erections and that correct procedures were followed in ensuring there is no existing mast or base staion that can or could be be shared rather than new mast erections undertaken.
As I understand West Kirby has 99% coverage for 4g signals provided by a multitude of existing masts in the area. Its of great concern that even more masts are continually be erected where there is no real need for them. They are erected often very close to residential properties and public places/schools etc. There is strong evidence of research has been done to show the harmful effects of 4g and 5g masts being erected close to residential properties schools and publuc areas.Thankyou.

Yours faithfully,
Chas Barnes

Dalton, Chelsea, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

In response to your request for information, we are able to inform you
that this specific data is already available in the public domain & can be
gathered by visiting our planning search web page.   You can use the
advanced search to identify postcodes, wards, street names and/or
application type.  All relevant information will be held against the
application including the ICNIRP certificate.

 

Here are the links you may wish to browse, for your assistance.

 

[1]https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/online-ap...

 

[2]http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/plannin...

 

[3]http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/plannin...

 

I trust this information we have provided will be of use to you & that you
are fully satisfied with the response received.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Chelsea Dalton

Information Management Officer

Business Management

Treasury Building

Argyle Street

Birkenhead

Wirral

CH41 1AH

Tel: 0151 691 8397

[4][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

PLEASE FORWARD ALL FOI RESPONSES TO [5][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

 

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.

References

Visible links
1. https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/online-ap...
2. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/plannin...
3. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/plannin...
4. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
5. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Mobile phone masts'.

[ GIVE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT HERE ]

The specific information requested was not provided.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m...

Yours faithfully,

greenman

InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Mr Barnes

 

I write in response to your email of 22 March 2019in which you ask for an
internal review of the Council’s handling of your FOI request regarding
mobile phone masts.  You have stated that “the specific information
requested was not provided.”

 

Your original enquiry asked:

 

“…Can you please provide details of all planning applications or request
in for erection of  further new  4g and 5g masts in and around West
Kirby.  Can you please also provide information to show that Wirral
council and the Mobile phone mast companies have undertaken risk
assessments before the granting of permission for such Mast erections and
that correct procedures were followed in ensuring there is no existing
mast or base station that can or could be shared rather than new mast
erections undertaken.”

 

The Council’s response of 4 February 2019 advised as follows:

 

In response to your request for information, we are able to inform you
that this specific data is already available in the public domain & can be
gathered by visiting our planning search web page.   You can use the
advanced search to identify postcodes, wards, street names and/or
application type.  All relevant information will be held against the
application including the ICNIRP certificate.

Having reviewed the history of this request I am satisfied that the
decision made was correct.  Under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000, a local authority is exempt from providing a response where the
information sought is already reasonably accessible by other means – in
this case online via the Council’s planning portal. Guidance regarding
this exemption can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Website at
this link:
[1]http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/guid...

 

Section 21 of the FOIA is an absolute exemption, which means there is no
requirement to carry out a public interest test. Information available via
a local authority’s publication scheme, in this case the online planning
portal, is generally considered to be reasonably accessible.   

 

For clarity, I can confirm that the Council has not received any
applications for 5G masts.  Any information in relation to
telecommunication applications can be accessed through our planning
register at
[2]https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/online-ap...
All of the relevant information can be found there and it is searchable by
street, ward, applicant or description keyword such as “4G”.  The health
certificates submitted with any such applications, together with all other
information, will be available as associated documents. 

 

In the circumstances, I am satisfied that the Council has responded
correctly by applying the Section 21 exemption and directing you to the
online portal where the requested information can be found via
self-serve.  I therefore uphold the original decision made.

 

If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain to the Information
Commissioner’s Office at [3]https://ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Lynette Paterson

Principal Information Management Officer

Business Management

 

Treasury Building

Argyle Street

Birkenhead

Wirral

CH41 1AH

 

Tel: 0151 691 8201

[4][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

 

 

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This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.

References

Visible links
1. http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/guid...
2. https://planning.wirral.gov.uk/online-ap...
3. https://ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us
4. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]