Prevent a new 'Communications mast' being bulit in Montpelier

[Amelia]

To the Montpelier community

Network rail are planning on building a 'Communications mast' href="http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3511.aspx">http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3511.aspx) within the next 6 weeks just in front of Montpelier train station tunnel

This will be very visible to anyone at the top of Richmond Road, Cromwell road and St Andrews road with unknown health side effects.

Even departments within Network rail admitted there should have at least an internal review and consultation with an 'elected member' of the community for any mast that 'has' to be built within less than the recommended 200 meters of any residential property: it will be built 20 foot from the nearest home

Recommend ringing Network rail help line 08457 11 41 41.

Emailing / ringing / writing to Steven Williams MP http://www.bristolwest-libdems.org.uk/

Anyone want to start a petition? Any ideas on how to prevent this?

Map and letter attached that got posted through our door today.

Amelia Taylor [e-mail]

[Des Bowring]

This is dreadful news - the proposed site is totally inappropriate due to its proximity to houses and the school, and will destroy wildlife. I can get an e-petition going now if you want to suggest the wording.

Thanks for flagging this up.

Des

www.wildmonty.co.uk

[Andy and Amelia Taylor]

Thanks for your reply Des, YES please start an e-petition. I am not sure how to do this. We also need to allocate how the forms are collected before being sent or emailed to recipients. Petition below:


A giant 15-32m (100ft+) proposed ‘communications mast’ is being built without any notification or consultation near Montpelier Train Station Tunnel in Bristol. Network rail are exploiting a hole in planning legislation to erect 2000 huge radiation emitting masts throughout the UK. The sheer scale, stealth, speed and reasoning behind these masts is causing a national scandal. Visit www.mastsanity.org and follow the links to network rail.

Contact Network rail and register your views: 08457 11 41 41 and sign this petition and lobby Steven Williams your local MP www.bristolwest-libdems.org.uk.

We, the undersigned, object to the planned build of a 15-29m 'Communications Mast' within 20ft of the nearest residents in a highly densely populated area (Currently proposed near Montpelier Train Station Tunnel in Bristol Ref: Letter to residents March 2008 RCS1225A(3) from Network rail). Contrary to network rails policy, there has been no consultation about this proposal neither with the local authority, nor local residents.

We, the undersigned, deplore the haste with which this national plan of action is being implemented

We, the undersigned request:

a. The notification period should start after the consultation has been completed
b. The 'Communications Mast' should be built further along the rail corridor from residential areas than currently proposed.

Name / Postcode / Country

[Robin McDowell]

Hi,
I spoke to a senior officer today in the Council's development control team about this, who was sympathetic but said that the Council has no powers here. Their view is that:

The installation of the mast on the details available to the Local Planning
Authority would be permitted development under the provisions of Class A (Railway or
light Railway Undertakings) Part 17 (Development by Statutory Undertakers) of the
Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1987 (as amended).
Under the provisions of this Statutory Instrument there is no requirement for the
Statutory Undertaking to carry out consultation with the Local Planning Authority.

So it seems as if Network Rail has almost a free hand to erect such a mast where they wish. But if they say they have a policy to consult residents and the LA, clearly they are not following that in this case and will be, one assumes, wishing to avoid more negative publicity on top of the existing bad press they get...

[Amelia]

Network rail themselves conceded today on the phone that planning departments do have the power to refuse a permitted development and have done successfully in the past !

A local community has recently won a victory "Villagers in mid Wales have won a victory on the siting of two signal masts planned for the Cambrian railway line near homes in mid Wales." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6513703.stm

[Amelia]

Thought you all would be glad of this up date:

I have just had conversation with Network Rail who said the following in an email:

"As per our conversation earlier, just to confirm that I will be looking into this site in order to get more detail so as to be able to answer your questions.
I aim to do this by Monday, but if there is any delay in getting that information I will ring you to update you.

I will also be notifying the project team so that they are aware that the build schedule may be delayed until I have had a chance to answer your questions."

This was from a fairly executive member of staff and in addition to comments below remarked that they have noticed your objections to the network rail helpline / address-please keep going!

I was also given Network Rail's 'word' that the project could and could be delayed up to 3-4 months due to a consultation period-which I was inclined to believe but that does remain to be seen. Network rail will have a conversation on site with me and my husband in person before any build tales place.

It was also confirmed as below that the mast would be 12m (50ft) and that the project has been delayed for some time due to the potential difficulties posed with this site (so near residents). They said they had consulted the council planning team- but did not say who with or when; interestingly that they said in some cases councils have been able to reject planned masts despite the planning law that Network Rail are using to build these masts.

I will forward you a specific Map when Network rail have said they will send me.

We could all still get this moved..look at a success story in wales: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6513703.stm

[Amelia]

I found ANOTHER success story which PROVES that local campaigning WORKS for these network rail masks:

"7 August 2007
Following a sustained campaign by local residents, Network Rail are taking down the communication mast which they had erected, without local consultation, in the middle of Shawford next to the station.
The mast will be re-erected further down the track away from the village."

see http://compton.parish.hants.gov.uk/pow2007.htm

[Des Bowring]

Very encouraging news!

The e-petition would be an online one so there is no physical/hard copy involved. I'm just wondering if a hard copy version would be a better bet, targetting people in streets most affected by the development i.e. Richmond, St Andrews, Cromwell? A door to door campaign perhaps?

I have emailed Network Rail - I think if enough people email them they will know just how strong local feeling is.

Cheers

Des

www.wildmonty.co.uk

[Robin McDowell]

Yes, I agree a hard copy petition would probably engage more people than emails requesting people to sign up to e-petition. But both may need to be tried. I will forward Amelia's quote from Network Rail and the Wales / Hampshire cases to my contact in Planning.

[Amelia]

Hi Robin,

I totally agree- hard copies would make more impact. Perhaps combine with leaflets and door knocking. Could we agree to do different streets? Maybe we could leave a copy of the petition in Radford Mill Farm Shop?

Suggest I do St Andrews rd and shop and two others do Cromwell rd and Richmond rd?

Also suggest we door knock-ask politely for signatures anyone not in pop a leaflet asking residents and businesses to lobby MP and contact Network rail (phone and posted letter better than email)

Suggest main purpose of petition is for proper consultation - leave suggestions and solutions for later

What do you think?

[Amelia]

Have amended text-please use below for petition-text for leaflet further down on this message-Amelia

We, the undersigned, object to the planned build of a 15-29m 'Communications Mast' within 20ft of the nearest residents in a highly densely populated area (Currently proposed near Montpelier Train Station Tunnel in Bristol Ref: Letter to residents March 2008 RCS1225A(3) from Network rail). Contrary to network rails policy, there has been no consultation about this proposal neither with the local authority, nor local residents.


We, the undersigned, deplore the haste with which this national plan of action is being implemented

We, the undersigned request the notification period should start after a full consultation has been completed with all concerned local residents.

Leaflet Title: We want proper consultation about the 'Communications Mast' proposed at Montpelier Train Station

Network rail are planning on building a 'Communications Mast' at Montpelier Train Station Tunnel in Bristol. It is part of a new UK wide system of 2000 15-30m high 'Communications masts' throughout the UK.

The sheer scale, stealth, speed and reasoning behind these masts is causing a national scandal. Visit www.mastsanity.org and follow the links to network rail.

This is near many houses and yet Network rail have a policy to keep the masts at least 200m away from residential areas and consult with the community.

Network rail are possibly exploiting a hole in planning legislation before planning laws are changed to erect 2000 huge radiation emitting masts throughout the UK.

Network rail are citing rail communiction safety concerns; however the reasoning behind the plans are causing controversy. Questions have raised at parliamentary level by Patsy Calton, MP for Cheadle' with the Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. Visit www.mastsanity.org for more information.

It is not clear if this mast poses a danger to the public's health. however it has been made clear the mast will be emitting radiation similar to normal mobile phone masts.

Make sure that you have your opinions heard before this mast is built.

Contact Network rail and register your views: 08457 11 41 41 and sign this petition and lobby

Contact Steven Williams your local MP www.bristolwest-libdems.org.uk.

Join in the dicussion on www.montpelier.ning.com/forum and Facebook Group "We want proper consultation about Network Rail’s new 'Communications Masts'"

It is worth making your opinions known, several communities have succesfully had masts moved and councils have overturned the apprently impenetrable "General Permitted Development" license
which Network rail are using.

Look at these success stories:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6513703.stm

http://compton.parish.hants.gov.uk/pow2007.htm

[Robin McDowell]

Amelia, leaflet for people not at home is good idea, and objective to demand consultation exercise by Network Rail. I regret I have very limited time at the moment to collect signatures, as I'm involved with other local campaigns such as improving Montpelier Park and other commitments, but am willing to do upper Richmond Road (odd numbers from alley upwards) that will have view over the railway.
Also, to get more people involved, why not try the group called 'Friends of St Andrews Road' and Montpelier Conservation Group ? I can provide contacts for both off-line via the MAG hotmail group.
Robin

[Amelia]

Great thanks-understand about limited time. Anything would help. Great to have contacts for other groups. Amelia