RESIDENTS living near the top of Mason’s Lane in Bradford on Avon are up in arms after discovering plans to build a telephone mast near their homes.

People living in Winsley Road, near Christchurch and The Castle Pub, are standing together against plans by developers Galliford to build a telephone mast on the edge of the conservation area in Mason’s Lane. A petition has already started circulating to try and put an end to the proposals.

Neil Critchley, 48, of Winsley Road, said: “Only nine people living around the area were told about the plans to build the mast. I find it unbelievable that they think they can pop a telephone mast on the edge of a conservation area. They are planning on putting through the planning application in the next week.

“A petition has been started online and there is also one that will be at the Castle Pub.”

Concerns are also being raised over the affects the mast will have on the health of people living near the mast, especially as the site is very close to Christchurch Primary School.

Jisela Norman, 58, of Winsley Road, said: “I am very concerned about the affect the waves will have on children and older people living near the site. The effect of electromagnetic waves on people is proven to have an impact on their health. There is a tower in Bristol nicknamed Microwave Tower and people have been concerned about that since the beginning, everyone knows the effects things like that can have on your health.

“It is essentially radioactive, living near a telephone mast would be very dangerous for people who are in remission from cancer.”

On Friday (February 10) Dr Andrew Tresidder from Somerset, who has published research on the unseen damage that telephone and wifi signals can have on a person's health, visited Christchurch to give a talk on the adverse effects of the waves emitted by telephone masts.

Councillor Martin Newman, of Bradford on Avon Town Council, said: "I went to the talk on Friday, I think one of the main worries about the proposals are the health implications. It also goes to show the Government's standpoint considering the changes in the National Planning Policy Framework."

Wiltshire MP Michelle Donelan said: "I have been campaigning for improvements to communications networks in Wiltshire but the plans to put a mast in Bradford on Avon which has a lot of history and natural beauty is not a good idea. It just isn't a suitable place for such a proposal."

(quote from Galliford to put here. if not- Galliford couldn't provide the Wiltshire Times with a comment.)