Against the Mast? Read this and act!

There has been some real bad advice being given out. That advice relates to the fact that the Telecommunications Mast being sited on Ashmore Park is being appealed by the company who wants to see this development take place.

Some one has informed residents to raise petitions against its location and construction. This is bad advice and is wrong advice. The stage where petitions can be used has long since past.

The matter is with the Planning Inspectorate and the Planning Inspector. He will only accept INDIVIDUAL letters in triplicate, before the cut off date next week on the 14th November 2011. Residents are wasting their time with petitions, the only way to protest is very clear in law.

Without writing individual letters the effort you are all going to will be lost! This is the letter that I shall be writing to the Planning Inspector and these will be my objections.


Secretary of State
The Planning Inspectorate,
Room 3/18B,
Temple Quay House,
2 the Square, Temple Quay
Bristol
BS1 6NP

Dear Secretary of State

Reference APP/D4635?A/11/2161375/NWF

I wish to object to the Installation of a 12.5 metre street pole enclosing two antenna and associated equipment with housing, at the front of the Ashmore Park Library Griffith Drive Wednesfield by Vodaphone/02.

My objection lies with the way that the installation will affect the street scene, the loss of amenity in that it will detract from our ancient moat, and reduce the education potential of the site. It will also act as a magnet for ugly graffiti. We are concerned for the integrity of the ancient ‘moat’ that exists just feet from where the mast is to be erected,and which is protected due to its historic nature.

Here is a brief summary of Ashmore Park Moated Site – It was surveyed because of its mediaeval history. We are very defensive of our moat from which the estate takes its name. We see it as an important local archological feature. It has great amenity value and we hope that you as a Planning Inspector will also recognise the importance that we place on the immediate location as being one of the most important archaeological sites in the city. The information on the Moat is with Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies . It was indexed as Ref No: DX-824 Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies
Date: 1988 - 2000
Description: This collection comprises work done by Northamptonshire (Archaeology) County Council as part of a project to enhance the presentation of the moated site to the public. This comprised a desk-based assessment of the surviving records (few related records of any period survive) and thereafter a watching brief was maintained during groundwork's to erect a trip rail around the perimeter of the moat and the re-instatement of two paths which cross the moated platform. No archaeological deposits were exposed.
Admin History: Ashmore Park moat, which is recorded on the West Midlands Sites & Monuments Record as SMR 2553, lies at grid reference SJ959018 - within the modern estate of Ashmore Park, to the north east of Wednesfield. It survives in part as earthwork - about 75% of the moat surrounding a platform and associated buried deposits. The earthwork is maintained under grass within public open space in front of two parades of shops and the Library. The south east quarter has been buried under a flat surface car park.It is the only surviving visible medieval moat in Wolverhampton and as such it is one of the most important archaeological sites in the area, having amenity value and educational potential.
Extent: 56 items
Level: Collection
Related Material: DX-859
For more information contact: Wolverhampton Archives
Catalogue
DX-824: Ashmore Park Moated Site - survey (1988 - 2000)

Further to this is a major concern that parents have about the safety of the antennae and the radio waves output it will give. Whilst you may not like the fact that parents are concerned about the effect of radio waves on their children, it is a fact that they are very concerned. This is due to the company placing the antennae in close proximity to a local Nursery, children centre and health clinic.

We support the fact that Wolverhampton City Planning Committee ruled against the original plan. We felt that the City Council ‘s Planning Committee fully reflected the local feeling on such a locally contentious planning matter. We are aghast that Vodaphone/02 are not loading this equipment onto masts that they own that already supply the local neighbourhood.

This Wednesfield North Labour Party urges you to support the original planning decision of the Wolverhampton City Council Planning Committee and reject the application from Vodaphone /o2

Yours sincerely
Phil Bateman MBE FCILT
Secretary
Wednesfield North Labour Party