This article is from page 10 of the 2005-08-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
RESIDENTS of Inch _ have pledged to fight any attempt by telecommunications firm 02 to get planning permission for the construction of a phone mast in the area.
At a meeting of a newly formed campaign committee, local people expressed their staunch opposition to any pro- posed development. Residents also accused 02 of deliberately
advertising planning permis- sion on July 27, at the start of the Bank Holiday weekend and are concerned at the proposed sites proximity to the local pri- mary school.
“This campaign has all the hallmarks of a calculated at- tempt to minimize the likeli- hood of local people finding out about the proposed tower,” said Andrea Martin, committee secretary.
‘No one knows for sure what
the long term effects of expo- sure to non-ionizing radiation (NIR) will be. If mobile phones and base stations were pharma- ceutical drugs, they wouldn’t be licensed for use because not enough research has been car- ried out’, she said.
The community hopes that by raising awareness of the development, they will receive support from residents of sur- rounding communities.
“We’re committed to fighting
this the whole way if necessary, for the sake of our children, our families and our local environ- ment”, said Committee chair- man, John Devany.
A spokesperson for 02 stated ‘“‘we have tried to plan to locate in the best possible area in order to meet the demands of our cus- tomers and the concerns of local residents. The issue of safety is taken very seriously by 02 and we comply with all Irish, EU and Industry regulations”