Lamb: MMO2 must stop flouting planning decisions

12.36.00pm GMT Wed 10th Mar 2004

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, has written again to telecommunications company MMO2 about cases where it has installed TETRA equipment on police station masts following the rejection of planning applications.

This follows the erection of TETRA equipment at North Walsham Police Station after North Norfolk District Council had rejected MMO2's application. MMO2 has also put a mobile phone mast up in Birmingham after a planning refusal, and has had to take two TETRA masts down in Sussex after the same thing happened there and local residents objected.

"MMO2 seems to have a recent history of circumventing planning rules in this way," said Norman Lamb.

"There have now been several cases of an application being put in and considered, only for the equipment to be installed because MMO2 feel that modifying existing masts does not require permission. North Walsham is clearly another example of this.

"I have already taken up the health concerns of several constituents about the TETRA mast in North Walsham, and have now written again to MMO2 asking why they keep on ignoring Council decisions across the country. I have also tabled Parliamentary questions today. MMO2 must explain themselves."