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Why parish chairman kept silent
Outcry over plans for phone mast on land owned by village leader's family
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By Paul Robinson
A PARISH council chairman is under fire after it emerged land owned by his family has been earmarked for a controversial mobile phone mast.
Residents in Great Preston, near Kippax, Leeds, were amazed to discover that the site which communications giant T-Mobile wants to use for the 25 metre-high mast belongs to Brecks Farm.
Located on the edge of the village, the farm is home to the father of Charles Hirst, chairman of Great and Little Preston Parish Council.
Although the mast scheme was in the pipeline as long ago as March, the parish council was not informed of it until late last month – the news coming from Leeds City Council.
Richard Travers, who is campaigning against the proposal, says he cannot understand why other councillors and the rest of the community were not told of T-Mobile's intentions earlier.
With the deadline for objections to the firm's bid for planning permission looming, he said: "There are a lot of questions that need answering, and I'm determined they will be."
T-Mobile hopes to put up the mast in Preston Wood, which lies off Whitehouse Lane.
According to plans, the structure would include three antennae, two dishes and a number of equipment cabins.
There has been concern in recent years about health risks posed by mobile phone masts, although scientific opinion remains divided on the subject.
Mr Travers, a 44-year-old dad-of-two whose home is 500 yards from the Preston Wood site, said: "I am worried about my children and their future well-being.""
Around 250 residents are sending letters of objection to Leeds City Council.
Coun Tom Murray (Lab, Garforth & Swillington), said: "You would be able to see this mast from Allerton Bywater, from Wakefield Road, from Kippax. I am very much against it."
Mr Hirst, who has previously won praise for his work on behalf of the village, admitted he had been "taken aback" by the reaction to the plan.
He said he had known about the proposal for some time but kept quiet about it so he could not be accused of trying to influence the parish council.
Mr Hirst, who himself lives on Whitehouse Lane, stressed he had not taken part in the council's recent discussions about the application. Confirming T-Mobile would be paying for use of the land, he insisted: "I have done nothing underhand."
The parish council has yet to lodge a formal objection.
Representations on the plan should be made by Monday, August 22, and sent to the Development Department, The Leonardo Building, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds LS2 8HD, quoting 33/331/05/FU. The city council is expected to deal with the case next month.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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