Resident plans to take fight against phone mast to next level

Feb 17 2011 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON man has complained to the local government watchdog over South Lanarkshire Council’s decision to approve a controversial mobile phone mast scheme.

Robert MacGregor, of Carlisle Road, opposed the Vodafone/O2 plan for the 48ft mast with six antennae and ground cabinets, pointing out that maintenance associated with the mast would pose a danger to drivers and pedestrians alike.

The company director made a complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman this week regarding the council’s determination of the application for a site on Carlisle Road opposite Laverock Crescent.

It is based on a review of the grounds for approval given at last Tuesday’s planning committee carried out on his behalf by transport, planning and engineering consultancy JMP on his behalf.

Mr MacGregor said the report put before the council stated the minimum temporary width during maintenance should be 1.2m.

However, the JMP report states that while council drawings show the footway width would appear to be reduced to 1.2m to 1.3m by the cabinet, it would be ‘further reduced to potentially less than 1m, during servicing, by the attending engineer regardless of how the (cabinet) doors open’.

JMP go on to state in their report: ‘Therefore, in its current form, we would consider that the proposed location of the cabinet and antenna, where pedestrian volumes and vehicle speeds are high, would be to the detriment of public safety.

‘On the review of the planning application, it would appear that the council have made a decision on the very limited information available and missed the footway width issue as no dimensions were provided in this regard on the application drawings’.

Mr MacGregor said this week: “They (South Lanarkshire) have miscalculated the size of the pavement and therefore the basis on which the application was determined is inaccurate.”

The O2/Vodafone scheme had attracted 20 letters of objection and a petition containing 64 signatures.

Mr MacGregor also commissioned a traffic survey prior to the scheme’s approval which showed that during a three-day period, 4500 cars were recorded travelling on the road, 90 per cent of which exceeded the speed limit.

A council spokesman said this week: “We can confirm that the application was granted on February 8 and we have not received any formal written complaints in relation to the processing of that application.

“The objector would require to go through South Lanarkshire Council’s official complaints procedure before progressing to the Ombudsman.

“It is our understanding that the Ombudsman cannot overrule a planning decision made under planning legislation.

“The purpose of the Ombudsman is to investigate any potential maladministration by the local authority.”