As an ex Caerleon resident now living in the SW of England, I am appalled by this. Yet again, the residents suffer because of the incompetence of the council (aciedntal or otherwise). Especially with the telephone companies, who will go to any lengths to get what they want - we have just been through the same thing with respect to a mast where I am now living, and it's difficult to stop even if you have a competent council aware of what's going on. Don't give up, and make sure you get councillors who can properly represent you.

Sorry Appalled, but perhaps you need a little education on how a Council works. The Councillors for Caerleon will not have been involved in the Council decision, and legal aspects would have been handled by Council officers rather than elected Councillors. I don't mind indignation, but there is no excuse for ignorance.

I don't blame the residents though, we have had problems with masts in Stow Hill. Hope they are successful!

Get a life will you I bet your all smokers anyway so cancer will kill you anyway, I think they should put a mast up in Caerleon cause the network is **** out there.

How many of these protesters own mobile phones?Probably most of them,this is classic case of "Not In My Back Yard!"they will have phones but not the thing that makes them work because they taint the perfect Caerleon "countryside",would they be protesting with the people of St julians or llanfrechfa if it was on their near neighbours doorsteps?I doubt it!

Is there anything that Newport Council actually does properly? Their ineptness has caused these residents to have this monstrosity built, regardless of their objections.

There is no excuse for this failure by the council.


Jimbo,

Congratulations on being such a considerate human being.

Can I just say how much I agree with Mike's comments. Statistically, most of these people will own mobile phones.

Why are people objecting to these masts? If its because of the radiation, they need to go and read their physics texts, people drag harmful radiation into their houses all the time - Microwave Cookers and CRT Screens are two of the worst - Oh and there is always the fields generated by the wiring in your house too...

In truth, you either need to have no electricity in your house and no devices, to object to the radiation without being a hypocrit! Alternatively, you can always object on aesthetic grounds!

I cannot say that I'd be comfortable next to a transmitter, but one has to ask where they would be placed? In cities, you need a large number of cells to prevent the "locking up" of a cell caused by a large number of users. Each cell has to have its own mast, so where do the companies put the masts, clearly they can't go by Hospitals, Schools, Parks, Houses - Where can they go? People need to be constructive in their objection, rather than just saying no, suggest somewhere where it could go! I suppose one on top of each of the planners' houses would be a suitable start for stuffing up the process YET AGAIN!

It is your choice whether you have a mobile. If you want to risk brain tumours, hearing problems and tinnitus that's your choice. Local inhabitants have no choice when the phone operators foist their harmful, radiation emitting masts on every one. Children, babies and the elederly, who significantly do not own mobile phones and are the people most likely to suffer the serious threat to health from mast radiation.

Research shows that phone mast radiation inhibits the production of the body’s cancer fighting hormone melatonin. So no surprise then that there is an ever alarming increase in the numbers of ill health and cancer clusters in the vicinity of these masts.

Well done to the plucky residents
fighting this mast siting.

Just a quick note to Simon. Unfortunately phone mast radiation is NOT the same as that from emitted by electrical wiring. Phone mast radiation is low level but the point is that it PULSES at a similar level to brainwave pattern. It therefore has the ability to interfere with our cells and DNA causing all sorts or serious health problems. Oh and by the way. Yes microwaves oven do emit harmful radiation if they are not properly sealed. BUT, you do not have them on 24 hours a day 365 days of the year unlike a phone mast!

J Elliott - Can you provide a link to the research please.

Hats off to the residents. At least they have the bottle to do something about it after the councils incompetance failed to stop it. Glad I don't live in Newport.

J Elliott - I love your made-up science! I've never been so worried for my DNA in all my life.

Andy - you're glad you live in Cwmbran rather than Newport? HAH!

I suppose Torfaen council are a shining example of non-bureaucracy and efficiency, right?

James wrote:
J Elliott - I love your made-up science! I've never been so worried for my DNA in all my life. Andy - you're glad you live in Cwmbran rather than Newport? HAH! I suppose Torfaen council are a shining example of non-bureaucracy and efficiency, right?

It does seem to be a bit X-files/Twillight Zone, doesn't it.

As i said on the other thread (why does the Argus insist on saturation bombing subjects? Just as one thread is getting going, they open a second one on the same subject) I expect thos people protesting herer will be actively opposing the digital TV switchover.

It's the same type of signal (radio frequency EM) and the government are putting up an extra 1000 masts in order to boost coverage. Up in the valleys, that will mean siting the masts in populated areas, as hilltop signals are blocked by the hills between the valleys.

Or are people too attached to their TV, and not to mobiles? Is it because TVs don't have dodgy ringtones? Or because they have been around longer - and people are more used to the ideas, and less susceptible to conspiracy theories.

This has less to do with the danger of mobile phone masts than the fact no-one notified the residents this was going ahead. They thought they had won their battle when planning permission was refused, only to find out O2 got permission on a technicality.

I reckon half a dozen wind turbines on the Lodge in Caerleon would put the cat among the pigeons. Mobile phone masts ?....won't be too long before there's a wind farm near you. Get used to ever changing times and even more demand on natural resources of energy. If we want to live in a modern era then it's the modern way for all not just for those SELECT few.
How many of these 'living in the past people' have a mobile phone ?
.....blah blah blah blah

Daeej wrote:
This has less to do with the danger of mobile phone masts than the fact no-one notified the residents this was going ahead. They thought they had won their battle when planning permission was refused, only to find out O2 got permission on a technicality.

yeah and.....

There are over one thousand independant research papers have proved the ill health link so I will just add 6 here as follows:
1. Study of the health of people living in the vicinity of mobile phone base stations.

Santini et al.
Pathol Biol (Paris) 2002; 50: 369 – 73

Found significant health effects on people living within 300 metres of mobile phone base stations.
Conclusions include the recommendation:

“… it is advisable that mobile phone base stations not be sited closer than 300meters to populations”


2. Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)

Study for the Netherlands Ministries of Economic Affairs, Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment,and Health, Welfare and Sport,
“Effects of Global Communications System Radio-Frequency Fields On Well Being and Cognitive Function of Human Subjects With and Without Subjective Complaints”
(September 2003)

Found significant effects on wellbeing, according to a number of internationally-recognised criteria (including headaches, muscle fatigue/pain, dizziness etc) from 3G mast emissions well below accepted ‘safety’ levels (less than 1/25,000th of ICNIRP guidelines). Those who had previously been noted as ‘electrosensitive’ under a scheme in that country were shown to have more pronounced ill-effects, though others were also shown to experience significant effects.


3. THE MICROWAVE SYNDROME - FURTHER ASPECTS OF A SPANISH STUDY

Oberfeld Gerd(1), Navarro A. Enrique(3), Portoles Manuel(2), Maestu Ceferino(4),

GomezPerretta Claudio(2)

1) Public Health Department Salzburg, Austria

Presented at an International Conference in Kos (Greece), 2004

This study found significant ill-health effects in those living in the vicinity of two GSM mobile phone base stations. They observed that:
“The strongest five associations found are depressive tendency, fatigue, sleeping disorder, difficulty in concentration and cardiovascular problems.”

As their conclusion the research team wrote:
“Based on the data of this study the advice would be to strive for levels not higher than 0.02 V/m for the sum total, which is equal to a power density of 0.0001 µW/cni2 or 1 µW/m2, which is the indoor exposure value for GSM base stations proposed on empirical evidence by the Public Health Office of the Government of Salzburg in 2002.”

4. INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CANCER NEAR A CELL-PHONE TRANSMITTER STATION.
Ronni Wolf MD(1), Danny Wolf MD(2)

1. The Dermatology Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rechovot, and
the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL.

2. The Pediatric Outpatient Clinic, Hasharon Region, Kupat Holim, ISRAEL.

Published in:
International Journal of Cancer Prevention Volume 1, No. 2, April 2004
This study, based on medical records of people living within 350 metres of a long-established phone mast, showed a fourfold increased incidence of cancer generally compared with the general population of Israel, and a tenfold increase specifically among women, compared with the surrounding locality further from the mast.

5. Naila Study, Germany (November 2004)

Report by researchers (five medical doctors)
Following the call by Wolfram König, President of the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Federal Agency for radiation protection), to all doctors of medicine to collaborate actively in the assessment of the risk posed by cellular radiation, the aim of our study was to examine whether people living close to cellular transmitter antennas were exposed to a heightened risk of taking ill with malignant tumors.
The basis of the data used for the survey were PC fi1es of the case histories of patients between the years 1994 and 2004. While adhering to data protection, the personal data of almost 1.000 patients were evaluated for this study, which was completed without any external financial support. It is intended to continue the project in the form of a register.
The result of the study shows that the proportion of newly developing cancer cases was significantly higher among those patients who had lived during the past ten years at a distance of up to 400 metres from the cellular transmitter site, which bas been in operation since 1993, compared to those patients living further away, and that the patients fell ill on average 8 years earlier.
In the years 1999-2004, i.e. after five years’ operation of the transmitting installation, the relative risk of getting cancer had trebled for the residents of the area in the proximity of the installation compared to the inhabitants of Naila outside the area.

6. Austrian Study

Press Release 1st May 2005

The radiation of a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 metres causes significant changes of the electrical currents in the brains of testees (measured by electroencephalogram, EEG). All the testees said they felt unwell during the radiation, some of them seriously.
That is the result of an investigation by a team of Austrian scientists. They measured alpha 1 (8 to 10 Hz), alpha 2 (10 to 12 Hz) and beta waves (13 to 20 Hz). A small density of GSM 900 and GSM 1800 radiation already caused several significant changes in these three frequency ranges. This means the body is stressed - temporarily this may have some positive effect, in the long run however stress certainly reduces the quality of life, capacity for work and state of health.

The results of the research will be published in international scientific magazines and confirmed by replication. The research was financed by Land Salzburg in Austria. The testees were nine women and three men between 20 and 78, who considered themselves 'electrosensitive'. They were invited to sit in a chair, eyes covered and ears plugged. Of course they were not aware of the sequence of the tests.

The side of the room directed at the cell phone base station was shielded against radiation, except for a small part which could be (un)shielded easily. In the first phase, the radiation density near the head was 26 mikroWatt/m2, in the second phase 3327 mikroWatt/m2 and in the third phase 26 mikroWatt/m2 again. Several other environmental parameters were measured to be sure they could not influence the results, such as radiation by television and FM-radio, noise, CO2, temperature, relative humidity, low frequency magnetic fields and soherics (electrical discharges in the atmosphere, possibly causing radiation).

During the second phase the parameters of all the brainwaves, measured by EEG, changed significantly. Afterwards the testees were asked to describe their experiences. All of them felt unwell during the second phase. They reported symptoms like buzzing in the head, palpitations of the heart, unwellness, lightheadedness, anxiety, breathlessness, respiratory problems, nervousness, agitation, headache, tinnitus, heat sensation and depression.

According to the scientists, this is the first worldwide proof of significant changes of the electrical currents in the brain by a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 metres. It has been scientifically established before that the radiation of cell phone base stations leads to unwellness and health complaints.

Oh lord this is ridiculous - and shouldn't you have permission to directly quote papers etc. Caerleon has this very very sad misconception that it's special - get a life

Note to J Elliott.

I suppose you have given the research that suggests there is no link an equal amount of your attention (and there is plenty of that also, as the media has reported quite a bit about it!)?

If you look hard enough you'll find research that says breathing will kill you... I can't be bothered to quote it, but its there, because oxygen is toxic!

I notice you also avoided the TV thing, Televisions emit x-rays and they are proven beyond doubt to denature DNA, as is UV.

I also refute your point about wiring, people who live next to High Voltage cables also get problems with brain tumours, and its the change in current that causes the field (Faraday's law), so given that household wires carry larger currents (due to the lower voltage), the fields are larger, and therefore more hazardous!

Also how many people objecting to this mast have a cordless base station in their homes, they work exactly the same way...

And now for the best one - TV's emit X-rays! Don't believe me, read up on how x-rays are made, and compare this with how we generate TV pictures on Cathode Ray Tubes....

Notice that no-one suggests a suitable site for a mobile phone mast in a busy city with a lot of users... - Until there's an alternative place to put them, people are going to have to accept that they will be built close to homes, schools, hospitals, Parks...

Well, good luck with the fight. I fear that it will be futile. O2 erected a mast illegally outside St Woolos hospital and were told to take it down. After applying for planning permission (whilst the mast remained) they were, surprise surprise, allowed to keep the mast.

Oh, and it's not only Newport Council who have their hands tied. Anyone who thinks governments and councils are more powerful than corporations are sadly misguided.

What I cannot understand is about 30 metres away from this proposed site is an existing mono pole mast fof another operator.... the only reason an operator want's a site...apart from all the extra revenue from satisfied customers... to to cope with the demand... also the more masts there are the less power is need for the base station to connect to the mobile... also, although no expert on the subject... isn't there more harmful radiation from the handset than a mast.

J Elliott - Thanks.


One I have come across recently was:

"Long or short-term cell phone use is not associated with increased cancer risk, according to a study in the December 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Joachim Schüz, Ph.D., of the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues performed a study of 420,095 cell phone users who first subscribed between 1982 and 1995 and were followed through 2002 for cancer incidence."


Tricky to know what to believe.

I suspect there is a long term risk but that it is likely to be very small in the great scheme of things.

I am pretty sure I more likely to die on my morning commute to work than from a mobile phone mast induced cancer.

J Elliott is completely unhelpful quoting weird science sources. Maybe he should look at World Health Organisation resources who advise to the contrary.

Hasn't J Elliott got any reports that are less that 2 years old... with all technology as time goes by the science and its effects are better understood and problems overcome.
We've had scares over other health risks such as CJD... and while there have been a deaths attributed... the thousands that scientists predicted have never materialise.... just like global warming you have those scientist who say it's carbon emmisions... and a growing number who say its down to solar flares and has nothing to do with man.

I would like to endorse the points made by J.Elliot. The research is all valid and peer reviewed. A friend of mine began to suffer severe daily migraines, Heart palpitations and burning skin that began at the same time as a 3G phone mast was commissioned about 60m from his home. His symptoms disappeared whenever he moved away. As for the other research quoted by S.Howey. He should understand that moat of it is sponsored by the mobile phone industry, including the WHO , who were led by Prof. Rapocheli, who received in excess of £100,000 per year from the industry and now workd directly for the mobile operators assoc in the USA.He was the man that said there was no real effects on humans from the fall out after the Chernobyl disaster. Also we have our Government , whci in the last 7 years has benfitted by an amount in excess of £115 Billion through licence fees and taxation. { over £2000 for every man, woman and child in the UK.To ensure a speedy and continuing return, the Government told the operators that they had to achieve 80% coverage by the end of 2007 or face substantial fiancial penalties.Further with the fnancial clout that phone comanies have thgey would never have any of their sponsored studies that showed adverse effects published, but with an ear in every news desk, they can easily guarantee the headlines they want.
As far as maladministration by the LPA over their failure to notify the operator within the 56 days. There was a case a little time ago , where a similar situation arose and some residents objected to the ombudsman and said their properties were devalues by the proximity of a phone mast and he agreed by awarding those that did object sums ranging from £10,000 to 320,000.
It is significant to note that earlier this year the Welsh Assembly voted to change the planning laws with regard tto masts, which would have removed this 56 day clause, but the National Government overruled their decision.

To be fair, I can produce valid and peer reviewed reasearch to support pretty much any theory on anything. Anyone remember the MMR vaccine research that appeared in the Lancet?

I can certainly produce valid and peer reviewed research saying the mobile phone masts have no effect on human health whatsoever.

However, this will do nothing to appease those people who are convinced of the opposite, as there is always conflicting research and anecdotal evidence.

I have yet to see a convincing study in either camp. Mobiles simply have not been around long enough to give credible, quality assurable evidence on a sufficiently large and long-scale term as to allow meaningful statistical interpretation.

In the meantime, I'd love a decent signal in my house....

1.Please see Radiation Research Trust, Mast Sanity and Powerwatch websites for recent research proving harmful effects of electro magnetic radiation.
2.The only research which alleges phone mast radiation is safe are the very few studies funded by the multi billion pound phone industry.
3.In the phone operator funded cell phone Danish study mentioned by CW, if you delve a little bit deeper you will find that all is not quite as it seems. 44.1% of the participants had used a mobile phone for less than 1 year, too short a latency period for the development of cancer. The average user period of the participants in this study was 1.9 years! No heavy users of phones such as telesales people were used in this mobile operator funded study. George Carlo, former head of the US WTR research project into Mobile Telephone health effects in the late 1990s had this to say: "John Boice (lead researcher) and his colleagues have been on the cell phone industry payroll, and for big money, since the late 1990’s. The money laundering vehicle is the International Epidemiology Institute — the name sounds like a non-profit by design, but make no mistake, this is a big for-profit enterprise. When I ran the WTR, the International Epidemiology Institute, with Boice and a fellow named Joe McLaughlin, applied for funding to do this exact epidemiology study that was released this week. After much discussion within the WTR, they were refused funding because I felt they were blatantly biased and had overtly given us the notion that they would always create findings that were favorable to the industry."
The EM Facts Consultancy had the following to add: "Here’s the latest in industry funded cell phone studies that claim to have the final answer. When you see statements like “There’s really no biological basis for you to be concerned about radio waves,” and “people can become more reassured that these devices are safe” you can be sure the cell phone industry is paying the piper."
4.Incidentally, in one other phone operator funded study of people with brain tumours, they chose to ignore that fact that 98% of the participant’s brain tumours were on the same side of their head as their phone use and again pronounced cell phones safe!
5.The earlier comment about the World Health Organisation needs to be expanded. When the WHO noticed doctors and scientist’s concerns about this technology the WHO asked Michael Repacholi, an ex phone operator director, to form their Radiation Health Committee. With hundred of doctors and scientists clamouring to be included on this independent WHO committee dear Michael instead chose 8 mobile phone operator representatives to sit on the committee. It is this “independent” committee that regularly dismisses the numerous studies proving the harmful effects of exposure to electro magnetic radiation. Oh and by the way, Michael Repacholi has recently resigned under a cloud after it was revealed that he was receiving $150,000 a year for expenses from guess who? The mobile phone companies! Keep an eye out for this man. He is regularly used as an “expert” to tell us this technology is safe. He now works for the nuclear industry and was on a recent Panorama programme telling us that only a handfull of people died as a consequence of Chenobyl. He also said that small doses of radiation are actually good for you!

D.Cannon wrote:
I would like to endorse the points made by J.Elliot. The research is all valid and peer reviewed. A friend of mine began to suffer severe daily migraines, Heart palpitations and burning skin that began at the same time as a 3G phone mast was commissioned about 60m from his home. His symptoms disappeared whenever he moved away. As for the other research quoted by S.Howey. He should understand that moat of it is sponsored by the mobile phone industry, including the WHO , who were led by Prof. Rapocheli, who received in excess of £100,000 per year from the industry and now workd directly for the mobile operators assoc in the USA.He was the man that said there was no real effects on humans from the fall out after the Chernobyl disaster. Also we have our Government , whci in the last 7 years has benfitted by an amount in excess of £115 Billion through licence fees and taxation. { over £2000 for every man, woman and child in the UK.To ensure a speedy and continuing return, the Government told the operators that they had to achieve 80% coverage by the end of 2007 or face substantial fiancial penalties.Further with the fnancial clout that phone comanies have thgey would never have any of their sponsored studies that showed adverse effects published, but with an ear in every news desk, they can easily guarantee the headlines they want. As far as maladministration by the LPA over their failure to notify the operator within the 56 days. There was a case a little time ago , where a similar situation arose and some residents objected to the ombudsman and said their properties were devalues by the proximity of a phone mast and he agreed by awarding those that did object sums ranging from £10,000 to 320,000. It is significant to note that earlier this year the Welsh Assembly voted to change the planning laws with regard tto masts, which would have removed this 56 day clause, but the National Government overruled their decision.

Perhaps the person you qoute was particularly suscepible to the condition quoted.
What about all the other people in the area, did they have to move because of the condition?

John, You make a good comment in saying, in effect, why should the majority of the people have to consider the few that are suffering from the adverse effects? Why indeed? Why do people now have to refrain from smoking in public places because of the effects from passive smoking ? These situations are identical in principle, except with exposure to microwave radiation is a cumulative thing and more and more people are becoming electrohypersensitive. Further, unlike smokin, EHS sufferers have nowhere to hide or find a haven. There whole lifestyle suffers. There are many cases that I know of, in addition to my friend, who are sufferers. Read the results of the research by Dr. John Walker, where he found a direct connection to cancers close to phone masts, which manifested the situation after 10 years exposure. He was able to replicate these findings at 7 mast locations to date. What makes the situation worse is that there is techonolgy available that would allow a mobile phone system to operate safely, but the present system is preferred because it is cheaper for the phone companies.A percentage of people becoming ill or dying is a small price to pay for the industry, especially if they can spin the information to make them seem faultless.
Steve makes the point that he is not convinced that the studies to date prove adverse or no effects. If that is so , we must ALL be part of a universal biological experiment that could take many decades to resolve. If it does prove to be that adverse effects occur genearally after this time, it will be too late to do anything about it. What about asbestos ? Asbestos was widely used for years before it was found to be deadly. People are still suffering and dying from it's effects today.

With reading all this it struck me,does anyone here not own A thing that is deemed dangerous?Car,mobile phone,power tools,all can possibly harm some people but seldom do you hear about them unless some do-gooder shoves A very padantic arguement in your face!Let the mast be built and move on!!

This Mast Debate will rage on and on....

The point is that the residents have decided that they do not want this mast in their midst and have democratically done everything they can to stop it. O2 can be in no doubt that the mast is not wanted here but are prepared to ride rough shode over the residents' views. O2 will use any means (including utilising a loop hole)to achieve their commercial goals. A reputable company with a social responsibility would not act in this way, but would look for an alternative site even if it cost a little more.

More people should be encouraged to stand up for their beliefs like these residents.

As an ex-resident of this Street I am very please that the local residents are standing up for what they believe in. The council are obviously at fault here and should hold their hands up and do everything they can to stop O2.

In an age where people don't have time for each other let alone there neighbours it's great to hear about such a team spirt.

Keep going and all the best!

ps. ignore all those negative prats who you have encountered on the street and on such blogs

I wonder how many of those residents have mobile phones. Where do they think they get their signal from? Its called a MAST probably in someone elses backyard but I guess you don't care as long as its not in yours. The attitude is rife in today's society.

If you don't want a mast their then get rid of your phones and don't be hypocritical.

Millions in this country do not have mobiles, including me. It is your choice whether you have a mobile. If you want to risk brain tumours, hearing problems and tinnitus that's your choice. Local inhabitants have no choice when the phone operators foist their harmful, radiation emitting masts on every one. Children, babies and the elederly, who significantly do not own mobile phones and are the people most likely to suffer the serious threat to health from mast radiation.

Research shows that phone mast radiation inhibits the production of the body’s cancer fighting hormone melatonin. So no surprise then that there is an ever alarming increase in the numbers of ill health and cancer clusters in the vicinity of these masts.


The idea that unelected bodies (the mobile phone companies in this case) have a right to expose people to risks unless they can prove harm, amounts to enrolling the population in a giant biological experiment without their consent. Considering that children, the most vulnerable of all, are included in this experiment, it is shameful that their interests are disregarded so cynically in the pursuit of profit.

Well Done to residents......you're Heroes!!! we managed to fight off a Mast in our road too....from a neighbours that didn't know eachother we all united and fought together....bring on the Revolution!!!