Phone masts to go marching on

1.46.47pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 26th Jun 2008

Andrwe Stunell with Mobile Phone Mast

A local MP's attempt to bring Mobile Phone Masts under tighter planning rules was defeated in a key vote in Parliament yesterday. The decision leaves phone companies free to site controversial masts less that 15 metres tall wherever they choose.

Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell, pushed for the new planning controls to be added to the Planning Bill going through Parliament, but his motion was voted down after Conservative MPs abstained.

Later an angry Mr Stunell said:

"I cannot understand the Tory decision to sit on their hands. It was the best chance possible to bring these masts back under local control, and they blew it. That had this proposal in their last manifesto, and one of their own MPs had already put forward exactly the same plan, so what does that tell us about their real commitment to local residents?"

Phone masts were exempted from planning control in 1984, and there are now over 40,000 base stations across the country. According to Mr Stunell many are uncontroversial, but some cause real local concern and current planning rules deny local communities and councillors any effective power to refuse them.

Governments have been reluctant to plug the gap in the rules after receiving over £30 billion in licence fees from the operators.

"Money talks, and Tory manifesto commitments have gone out of the window," said Mr Stunell.

This was the second time Mr Stunell had brought the issue up in Parliament. His own Private Members' Bill in 2005 ran out of time just before the last General Election

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. A copy of Andrew Stunell's proposed amendment to the Planning Bill is available by emailing Zoë Horwich at horwichz@parliament.uk.

2. For the full transcript of Mr Stunell's speech on the amendment please see the following link:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080625/debtext/80625-0021.htm#08062584000777