Phone masts 35 metres from our windows

I have often written about electrosensitivity and mobile phone radiation on this blog – but I never thought I would find myself opposing an installation on the roof of our next door neighbours!!

Those many of you who have visited Lawn Road will recognise No 5 on the left of the picture and will also recognise the small block of flats, Troyes Court, which is our next door neighbour.

Troyes Court was built in the 1950s after a bomb had destroyed the two pairs of houses at the end of the road and it belongs to Camden Council. Although a few of the 24 flats have been sold off, the majority are still lived in by council tenants, many of whom would class as ‘vulnerable’ – elderly, ill or disabled in some way.

In October last year (2015) Camden Council decided that, in order to raise money for housing and other worthy causes, they would approach mobile phone companies to see if they would like to put masts on the roofs of some of the council properties. They estimated that they could raise around £600,000 a year this way – around £10,000 per installation on 60 properties.

Despite the fact that Troyes Court is only four storeys high, so that any installation on its roof would beam directly into the upper floors of all the surrounding houses (as you can see), Troyes Court was one of the properties on offer. And on August 8th this year (2016) – nearly a year after the original decision – one notice appeared from Telefonica (02) on one door (out of four) into Troyes House, saying that they were going to be applying for permission to erect a base station of six antennae on the roof of the building.

One can only assume that this initiative must have come from Camden as 02 already has excellent coverage in the whole of this area according both to their own site (enter NW3 2XT)  and to Ofcom’s site (again, enter NW3 2XT and 02).

Over a month later (12th September) ‘Planning Application Consultation’ letters were sent to the residents of Troyes House, us, as next door neighbours and to the three houses that back onto Troyes Court. No notification was given to any other house in the vicinity even those immediately cross the street who would be in direct ‘line of fire’ of the beams from the antennae.

We were offered the option of ‘objecting’ but you cannot object until a planing application had been registered – at which point you get 21 days to object.

Obviously, we are objecting!! Indeed we are objecting in force! On a number of different grounds:

• Totally inappropriate site – far too low – especially as there is a 15 storey tower block at the end of the street which would deliver far better coverage
• 02 already has excellent coverage so no need for more
• Potential health hazards – especially as there are vulnerable people in the block and children in the surrounding houses, both of which groups are known to be especially at risk from radiation.
• Complete failure on Camden’s part to consult with the residents and a total lack of transparency
• Effect on property values in the neighbourhood

If you are interested to read about any of this in more detail, see www.stopLawnRoadMasts.co.uk.

And, as visitors to 5 Lawn Road,  if you were up for objecting with us, that would be excellent! Just go to the How you can help page and we tell you how. Thank you in advance…..

Will keep you posted…