Phone mast location

[wiltsman]

I've found that a planning application has been made, which will mean that a phone mast could be sited just 35 metres from my house.

After scouring the internet, I cant find any entry that shows a recommendation on how far a mast should be placed from the nearest residential dwelling.

Can anyone help me, including where possible, any relevant web site addresses.

..... and before anyone asks, yes, I do use a mobile!

[Hymie]

To all those mobile phone users who know that being anywhere near a phone mast will instantly give you cancer – you probably are not too far from one, right now.

In order to give the required coverage to more and more users (ensuring as much geographic coverage as possible), mobile phone masts are now omnipresent in most urban areas.

Most are cleverly disguised within street lamps – the give-away is a fatter section towards the upper section of the lamppost, which contains the antenna. There will also be fairly large metal enclosure (somewhere close to the base of the lamppost) containing all the electronics. I am somewhat amazed that these enclosures are not positioned away from the road (or better protected) – a car crashing into one at speed would cause more damage than most cars cost new.

Given that street lamps double as mobile phone masts – it is unlikely that there is a requirement for masts to be greater than 35 metres from a residential dwelling.

The next time you see a large metal enclosure (usually coloured green) close to the road-side, check out the adjacent lamppost for an antenna, and observe how close it is to any property.

[wiltsman]

Thank you Hymie for your reply. Yes, I'm aware that these masts are everywhere, even disguised as trees! My objection is that, while the jury is still out on whether there are any health concerns regarding these masts, I feel that 35 metres is too close for one to be positioned adjacent to a house. Generally with roadside masts, you drive or walk past them, you don't have to permanently live and sleep next to them.

I see no reason why the particular mast I referred to could not be moved a couple of hundred metres up the road, where it would be clear of any houses, and there would still be access to a nearby lamp post to connect up to an electricity supply.

[rockyracoon]

They put one up round our way only, 5 metres from someones front door.

[Hymie]

For those worried about electromagnetic emissions from mobile phone masts – see this Wikipedia article which claims typical radio power levels around mobile phone masts at the order of 1μW/cm2, which is around 25,000 times less than that received from the sun (on a sunny day).

http://en.wikipedia.o...ile_phone_transmitter

So if you are worried about expose to electromagnetic radiation, consider becoming a troglodyte or locating yourself at the earth’s poles (alternating every 6 months) to ensure minimal exposure. But don’t worry about mobile phone masts close to your home – worry about that big bright shinny thing in the sky.

[bushbaby_de]

Have a look at the ICNIRP website - this is what the applicant has to demonstrate compliance with http://www.icnirp.de/

[wiltsman]

Thank you all for your replies