Telecoms company Airtel erected three mobile phone masts on the roof of the Washington Hotel in March but had to stop after Environment Minister Freddie Cohen ruled that the site notices for the work had been incorrectly advertised. Planning said they would not accept health risk or property devaluation – an issue raised by many of the residents – as reasons to refuse Airtel’s reapplication for the masts – a view that has shocked residents. Martyn Gallery has headed the campaign to remove the masts. At the meeting last night he said: ‘I can’t believe Planning aren’t taking this into consideration. Nobody has bothered to answer our questions about health issues. If the mobile phone company and Planning can’t give us an answer on this, there must be doubts as to the danger.’
The Heart of Island Life
