Residents ready to fight mast (From Bournemouth Echo)

Residents ready to fight mast

7:00pm Wednesday 18th June 2008

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RESIDENTS and councillors armed with placards and passion protested against a 12-metre-high mobile phone mast planned for a busy pavement in Boscombe.

The mobile phone provider O2, plans to build the mast on the corner of Holdenhurst Avenue and Christchurch Road but it is being heavily resisted by residents, who say it would be a health hazard and an eyesore.

Cllr Nick King said that they would protest for as long as necessary.

"We will continue to fight this, for years to come if we have to," he said.

"Each time we do, it costs them money so hopefully they will decide to build it somewhere else, away from a residential area."

This is the second time residents have protested against O2 plans and they say they will continue to protest each time the company puts in an application.

The mast, which would provide 3G coverage of video data to mobile phones, is in addition to two others already in place, within a 10-minute walk.

Cllr Jane Montrose said the company should build the mast on Riverside Avenue, further away from a residential area.

"We all use mobile phones and we are not simply protesting for the sake of protesting," she said.

"All O2 needs to do is build the mast 800 yards down the road, where it won't bother pedestrians or residents. That way they are happy and we are happy."

The protests are part of an ongoing battle against the building of mobile phone masts in the area.

The decision on whether or not the mast will be built will be made by the end of July.

James Stevenson, community liaison officer for London and the South at O2, said the company welcomed comments from the residents and wanted to work with them.

"We get a lot of opposition in the area.

"Many people want to be able to use their mobile phone but don't want to see the mast," he said. We would ask local residents to get in contact with us and we will look at moving the mast to a more suitable location."

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