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Local
Government
(Newcastle Borough) Position
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Newcastle Boroughs Draft deposit
March 2001.
Some relevant sections include:
Policies
T18 and T19
Policies S10 and S14
A copy of the Boroughs' Policies
and Plans can be found by clicking on the link to the right of this
page. You can also contact the Borough for your FREE copy of the
plan. (Borough residents only).
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Independent Expert Group
on Mobile Phones
(The Stewart Report)
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Independent group set up to look at Mobile Phones
and Health. Its findings were published on 11th May 2000.
Website:
http://www.iegmp.org.uk/IEGMPtxt.htm
The report is cited by both Central government
and the borough.
Quote form Stewart Report: ; we recommend that
a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phone technologies
be adopted until much more detailed and scientifically robust information
on any health effects becomes available (Chapter 5, paragraphs 6.35–6.42)."
A Further excerpt from The Stewart Report :Section 6 - A Precautionary
Approach
Base stations near schools
6.63 A common concern among members of the public who attended
our open meetings was the siting
of macrocell base stations on or near school premises. The placement
of a base station on a school building may indirectly benefit its
pupils through the income generated in rent. The balance of evidence
indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people
living near to base stations where the exposures are only small
fractions of guidelines. However, it was suggested to us that children
might be especially vulnerable to any adverse effects of RF radiation.
There is evidence that at the frequencies used in mobile phone technology,
children will absorb more energy per kilogram of body weight from
an external electromagnetic field than adults (see paragraph 4.37).
A one year old could absorb around double, and a five year old around
60%,more than an adult. Additionally, since children are being exposed
to RF radiation from base stations (and from mobile phones) from
a younger age than adults, they will have a longer time in which
to accumulate exposure over the course of their lives, and a longer
time for any delayed effects of
exposure to develop.
6.64 In recognition of this, some countries have prohibited
the placement of macrocell base stations on sensitive sites such
as schools. Such policies have the merit of being easy to administer,
but they may not always produce the desired effect. For example,
because of the way in which emissions are beamed, a macrocell base
station located near to a school may cause higher exposure to pupils
than if it were placed on the roof of the school building.
6.65 We suggest therefore that a better approach would be
to require that the beam of greatest RF intensity (see paragraph
4.32) from a macrocell base station sited within the grounds of
a school should not be permitted to fall on any part of the school
grounds or buildings without agreement from the school and parents.
Furthermore, when consent is sought from a school and parents about
this question, they should be provided with adequate information
to make an informed
decision, including an explanation of the way in which the intensity
of radiation falls off with distance from the antenna. This may
be particularly relevant for schools with large grounds. If, for
an existing base station, agreement could not be obtained, its antennas
might need to be readjusted.
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