Planning chairman raises health fears over phone masts

Dec 17 2008 by Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

EAST Renfrewshire’s planning convener has put out the call to the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments to examine health concerns around mobile phone masts.

Councillor Ian McAlpine, who chairs the council’s planning applications committee, has contacted the area’s MP and MSP to call on an examination of the issue.

He said: “When we receive a planning application for a mobile phone mast it is examined by our council planners strictly on planning grounds.

“But residents keep raising health concerns. As planning convener, I cannot take these into account, our planners cannot examine them and our committee members cannot consider them when making a decision.

“Our residents are concerned but neither we, our national Governments nor the mobile phone industry are doing enough to answer their questions.”

Councillor McAlpine, who also represents Newton Mearns South on the council, is asking if the respective Governments are willing to examine health risks and provide guidance to communities to answer their concerns or to consider giving planning committees new powers.

“When our residents raise a concern it is our job as public representatives to examine it and respond. At the moment the issue isn’t being taken into account through the planning system and whether the planning system is the most appropriate location for health issues to be examined, it is still an issue that requires examination,” added councillor McAlpine.