RELIEF AS PHONE MAST APPLICATION WITHDRAWN

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 29th Mar 2005

Liberal Democrats have been campaigning strongly at both local and national levels to stop the blight of phone masts being built in residential areas near homes and schools. They were delighted to hear that the phone mast upgrade application at Kestrel Way, adjacent to the Goldsworth Trading Estate Recycling Centre, has been withdrawn. Dr Anne Lee said "I hope that the phone company are not thinking that this is just a temporary withdrawal, we know that residents will be fighting them all the way".

She added "Liberal Democrat councillors have been incensed that recent decisions on other masts have been taken by a remote inspector based in Bristol. I have been supporting this concern and we have been fighting in Parliament to get a Bill passed to enable local people to have more control. It was the Conservatives in 1984 who cut planning controls on masts and the Treasury received billions of pounds of licence money, so they are not keen to see more control now either.

"This is typical of a battle which needs local councillors to be supported by an appropriate decision taken in Parliament. If you do not have joined-up government, it is too easy for people to pass the buck."