Big response to petition against phone mast

Hundreds of residents have signed a petition against a plan to put up a phone mast in a residential area.

Mobile phone company Vodaphone want to erect a 3G mobile telephone mast on Boyslade Road in Burbage. This has prompted massive opposition from local residents many of whom have signed the petition against the plans

Liberal Democrat Councillor Stuart Bray, who organised the petition, said "People in Burbage are strongly opposed to Vodaphone's crazy plans.

"Mobile phone masts should not be put in the middle of residential areas. This proposed mast would be near local schools and a nursing home.

"This goes against the government's own Stewart report into mobile phone masts, which recommended that masts should not be sited near schools or hospitals or elderly persons homes."

Councillor Adrian Smith added "This mast would be a terrible eyesore for the people living around it. I hope that the huge response to our petition will persuade Vodaphone to drop their plans to put up this mast in Burbage."

Bosworth Liberal Democrats parliamentary spokesman Michael Mullaney said "Last July Liberal Democrat MPs put forward a proposal in parliament which would have given Council's more powers to stop phone masts like this. Unfortunately Labour MPs voted against the motion and Conservative MPs didn't bother voting at all.

"I was very disappointed to see that the Conservatives did not bother to vote for this change. They simply sat on their hands, despite telling everyone at the general election that they support this policy."

"As a result, communities in Hinckley & Bosworth will continue to find it hard to battle against inappropriate phone masts."

The petitions will be handed in to Hinckley and Bosworth Council.

Residents who haven't managed to sign the petition yet can still sign it online at http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/stopboysladeroadmast