Residents of Baldoyle in Dublin 13 are celebrating a victory against a Mobile Phone Giant Hutchison 3G (H3G) who must now remove 2 masts from the roof of their local football club.
The masts were installed in October 2004 and a local campaign against their installation was mounted. Finally the masts must be taken down after a long battle that included a 24 hour blockade & vigil outside the club house.
Campaign Group ‘BALDOYLE AGAINST RADIATION’ (BAR) lodged a planning reference to Fingal County Council (FCC) claiming the the building was private and not public and therefore should not have been given exempt status under the planning regulations. FCC ruled this week that the building is in fact a private building and the telecommunications installation is an unauthorised development.
BAR Chairperson Brian Greene said “This is a win win situation for the community of Baldoyle, the mast beside a school is to be removed & the primary school’s future is secured. We have always maintained that the 2001 regulations that allow public buildings to be used as mobile
phone masts was a disgraceful gift to mobile phone companies from the then Environment Minister Noel Dempsey.”
“Now that the masts are to be removed the community of Baldoyle must support its football club. Our fight with the phone company isn’t over. We are campaigning for the sensible sighting of masts in our area. H3G still require coverage in our area, and we are seeking consultation for communities prior to mandatory planning for all masts new & existing.” said Mr. Greene
Fingal County Planners must take responsibility for their previous decisions regarding this installation, if the club house is private how was it ever selected as an exempt building? Public buildings across Dublin have been chosen to site masts inside exclusion zones close to schools and homes, Government action is required to develop the precautionary approach to all installations of phone masts.
“Our campaign of people power resulted in this removal, communities must be vigilant, Planners and Government must listen to the wishes of local residents in regard to site selection for future phone masts.”