BISHOP'S STORTFORD: Anger over latest bid for phone mast

2:19pm Tuesday 4th March 2008

FRUSTRATED residents of Oriole Way, in Bishop's Stortford, are furious that mobile phone giant O2 has been allowed to apply for a fourth time in its bid to install a mast.

As reported by the Citizen last September, O2 had tried to get a 13m highmast with two equipment cabinets at the corner of Oriole Way and Great Hadham Way, but the application was rejected after angry residents opposed the move.

The company has since applied again, once last December and again in January, and the company recently applied for planning permission again, much to the dismay of residents who sent in 106 letters of objection to the last planning application.

The company argued that it needed the mast as local O2 mobile phone customers were experiencing signal loss, but East Herts District Council disagreed and binned the plans on the grounds that it would be an eyesore and that local mobile phone reception was adequate.

Campaigner Eve Pearson, of Marguerite Way, says O2 is interested in profits not people.

She said: "I'm now at a loss as to how we can stop O2. It doesn't seem fair that we can keep objecting to this mast and sending in petitions and letters and they just keep resubmitting their application for what appears to be no valid reason.

"I find it incredible that as one of the UK's largest communication companies O2 just don't want to listen to us."

Residents were amazed to receive a text from O2 just two days after the plan was rejected telling them that their area had undergone "signal improvements" by O2, and could now expect a better signal levels.

An O2 spokesman said it was still receiving complaints from customers who were losing their mobile signals during the day.

He said: "We do understand how the residents feel but the amount of emergency calls made from mobiles is now unprecedented, and that's one point that is driving our further development."

Mrs Pearson said: "The signal in this area is fine, several of us are O2 customers and I've never lost my signal at any point during the day."

The company said it will not give up its fight to have the mast installed with the spokesman saying: "If we don't get it right this time, then it'll be back to the drawing board."

The application is set to be discussed by East Herts District Council at a planning meeting on Thursday, March 27.

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