3:10pm Thursday 21st October 2004
PEOPLE cheered and applauded councillors who refused plans for a mobile phone mast to be sited near a bowling club in Wanstead.
Following an impassioned debate at Monday's Redbridge Council area one committee meeting, members threw out T-Mobile's plans for a mast in Aldersbrook Road.
A total of 110 people signed a petition opposing the application, including Merlin Road resident Elizabeth Canavan.
Speaking at the meeting in Wanstead Library, she said the application should be refused because the date set by T-Mobile for local consultation was just one day after the application had been submitted.
Wanstead councillor Allan Burgess stressed that another mast application for a site 100 yards away had been rejected earlier this year because it overlooked the Wanstead conservation area.
He said: "Although they worked hard to keep it out of the conservation area it was still obtrusive and totally unsuitable for that particular location overlooking Wanstead Flats.
"This one is actually in the conservation area right next to the Baptist church which is one of the notable features which established this area as a conservation area in the first place."
In its application, T-Mobile said it needed the mast to fill a gap in coverage caused by the removal of equipment from Brading Crescent but Cllr Burgess said that 110 T-Mobile customers had signed a petition against the mast, many of whom had said that coverage was still good.
A previous application for the mast on the same site was thrown out by councillors earlier this year because they were unhappy with its location and appearance. That decision was upheld on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate, which ruled that the accompanying safety certificate was invalid.
However T-Mobile resubmitted the application with a new certificate and council planning officers recommended the scheme be approved.
But, much to the delight of those present, the application was again refused. This time the gounds wer that its location and appearance were inappropriate.
Following the meeting a spokesman for T-Mobile said no decision had been taken on whether to appeal against the decision .
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk