WEEE this Christmas

Yesterday I noted the excellent My Zero Waste website and urged folk to vote for them in the Green Web Awards. Today I wanted to highlight one of their recent blog posts about the campaign, by the Recycle for Gloucestershire team, to raise awareness of how to dispose of broken and unwanted waste electronics and electrical equipment (WEEE). More of that in a moment...

This is a subject dear to my heart having nearly established a company locally some years ago to deal with computer waste. I was working with a guy, Richard Drake, who set up a similar company in Canada - for various reasons, not helped by the repeated delays by our Government to bring forward WEEE guidelines, I didn't develop the project. Nevertheless it was a huge learning process and I was able to visit some very interesting projects - not least a unique machine to recycle monitors.

At the time this is what I wrote: "In the Western world there is an increasing problem with discarded computers entering landfills. At present there are few computer recycling programs to address this problem. Of particular concern are the toxic ingredients found in computers which, when disposed of inadequately, can pollute the environment. Many of these computers are still in working condition or can be easily repaired or upgraded, and thus are suitable for disadvantaged people in countries with little or no computer resources, or the needy in England. The CompuCycle project originated in Canada, where a series of public computer collection events were held on Vancouver Island in 2001 and 2002– the first of their kind. At each event a 53ft van was filled, and sent to a recycler who guaranteed ethical recycling. A number of working machines were also collected for donation to Third World countries."

CompuCycle, as it was called, was going to be divided into a non-profit and profit arm. Anyhow WEEE has now happened and is starting to work. UK residents currently throw away enough WEEE every year to fill new Wembley six times.

It’s estimated that around 150 million small electrical products are bought each year in the UK for Christmas - new toys, gadgets, power tools and kitchen appliances - and most will end up in the landfill once they have fulfilled their useful life - some even before then.

My Zero Waste blog (see here) writes:

Everything from kettles, razors, torches, drills, cameras and Christmas tree lights fall under WEEE. I was astonished to learn that a staggering 500 tonnes of Christmas lights alone are discarded in the UK over the holiday season.

WEEE consists of anything with a plug, removable or internal batteries. For more information see our WEEE article. You’ll learn about the crossed out wheelie bin symbol and the reasons why our WEEE should not be put into landfill.if you fancy something light hearted to help you remember things, why not have a go at the ReGeneration game!

On average every Gloucestershire home has at least 3 old broken or unwanted small electrical items such as hair dryers, kettles or old mobile phones.

Regardless of where you live, the message is to dispose of WEEE responsibly either at the local Household Recycling Centre or take it to stores offering a take back scheme. Check out Recycle Now’s “Don’t bin it, Bring it” site for more details.

To determine whether your item is WEEE or not, Recycle for Gloucestershire recommend asking these simple questions…

• Does it have a plug?
• Does it use batteries?
• Does it need charging?
• Does it have the crossed-out wheelie bin logo on it?

If you can answer “YES” to any of the above, you can recycle it with WEEE facilities.

Locally our nearest site fopr disposal is the Recycling Centre at Horsley.

France cracksdown on mobile phone use

I am delighted to hear that France has cracked down on children's use of mobile phones - this has been done amid growing fears that they may cause cancer and other diseases.

Photos: from Dept of Health Guidance leaflets

As I've stated on this blog and to local press we simply do not know enough about the damage that such technology is causing to children's health and development. It is time our Government followed the French - a long while back they produced the guidance below about children limiting calls on mobiles but I've never seen even this advice published in the places it needs to be.

This is from Geoffrey Lean's article in The Independent: "The clampdown represents the most comprehensive action yet taken by any government worldwide. It contrasts sharply with the stance of British ministers, who have largely ignored the recommendations of an official report nine years ago that people aged under 16 should be discouraged from using mobiles, and that the industry should be stopped from promoting them to children. Since then their use by the young has almost doubled, so that nine out of 10 of the country's 16-year-olds own a handset.

Swedish research indicates that children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use the phones, causing some experts to predict an "epidemic" of the disease among today's young people in later life. But consideration of the threat to them has been specifically excluded from Britain's official £3.1m investigation into the risk of cancer from mobiles."

According to researchers in Russia children using handsets are prone to the following disorders: weakening memory, decline of attention, reduction of mental and cognitive capacity, irritation, sleep violation, increasing epileptic possibility. The other possible far-standing consequences are brain, auditory and vestibular nerve tumor (at the age of 25-30), Alzheimer's disease, 'acquired dementia', depressive syndrome and other forms of neuronal degeneration of brain structures (at the age of 50-60).
The Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (RNCNIRP)

Are our mobile phones really dangerous?

The World Health Organization (WHO) still maintain that cell phones pose no threat and have been compiling data on the health risks of electromagnetic fields emitted by cell/mobile phones - however the release of the report has been delayed for over two years. Why? The possible risks is an issue I have covered before on this blog - and I have tried to curb use of mobiles in Glos schools - see letter here.

While we wait for the WHO guidance many nations have sought to protect their citizens by issuing their own recommendations for cell phone use, including an announcement in Canada last month. While in the U.S., the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute recently posted a useful list of tips to limit harmful health impacts of cell phones:

1. Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies.
2. Use hands-free ear pieces or speakerphone.
3. Make sure the back of the phone is pointing away from your body so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from you rather than through you.
4. Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure.
5. Don't sleep near your phone unless it is off, particularly if you are pregnant.

See full list of tips here: www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_14065.cfm

I am still open to whether or not their are serious dangers attached to mobile phone use - however it is clear we should not be dismissing the risks - it is frustrating there is so little independent work done on this - one of the more worrying reports was in my email box awaiting my return from holidays...it is worth quoting from at length below - but those interested should see the whole article by Julie A. Evans in Best Life here. Here is some of what she writes:

When Vini Khurana, PhD, an Australian (and Mayo Clinic–trained) neurosurgeon, announced that the link between cell-phone use and cancer was irrefutable - the result of his analysis of more than 100 studies--it set off alarm bells around the world. Use a cell phone, he said, and you increase your risk of developing a malignant brain tumor by two to four times. Until recently, the majority of research indicated little or no link between cell phones and cancer, but several new long-term studies have cast doubt about their safety.

Do cell phones cause cancer?

Maybe…with extended use. Mobile-phone users are twice as likely to develop malignant, difficult-to-treat brain tumors called gilomas, according to a first-of-its-kind study that analyzed the effects of cell-phone use over 10 years or more and was published last year in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine. The Bioinitiative Working Group, an international coalition of scientists and public-health experts, recently published a hefty report detailing the link between the nonionizing radiation caused by a cell phone's electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and cancer, DNA damage, Alzheimer's, and other diseases. "The cells in the body react to EMFs in cell phones just like they do to other environmental toxins, including heavy metals and chemicals," says Martin Blank, PhD, a professor in bioelectromagnetics at Columbia University and one of the report's authors. The study found that risk from cell-phone use starts at 260 lifetime hours.

Do cell phones emit radiation only when you are talking?

No. "Cell phones give off radiation any time they're turned on so that they can communicate with base stations," says Lou Bloomfield, PhD, professor of physics at the University of Virginia and author of How Everything Works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary. "The radiation emitted, however, is stronger and more frequent when you're talking or messaging." Also, the greater distance you are from a base station, the more radiation your phone must emit in order to get a signal, which is why your phone feels hot when you have low reception. That heat you feel is radiation. The Bioinitiative study found that adverse effects to DNA can also occur before the phone heats up. To reduce your exposure, make calls only when you have strong reception, hang up before your phone heats up, and store your phone away from your body when it's not in use.

What is a phone's SAR value and why does it matter?

SAR stands for specific absorption rate, and it refers to the rate of radiation exposure from radio frequency and microwaves measured in watts per kilogram of tissue, says Bloomfield. The FCC limit on any cell phone sold in this country is 1.6 watts per kilogram. To find the SAR value for your phone, go to fcc.gov/cgb/sar/. At press time, the phone with the lowest radiation was the LG KG800, at 0.135 w/kg. The highest: Motorola V195s, at 1.6 w/kg. The Apple iPhone is in the middle, at 0.974 w/kg. (See the article for best and worst buys)

What is the range of the radiation?

Exposure to radiation from your cell phone drops off slowly for the first three to four inches from your body, and then it falls dramatically, says Bloomfield. To reduce your exposure, invest in a hands-free headset and limit the amount of time you spend talking on the phone. Khurana recommends using the speaker mode and holding the phone about eight inches away from you. Also, limit your use of Bluetooth devices. While it's true that they emit the least amount of radiation (one study found they can operate as low as 0.001 watts per kilogram), even that can add up fast.

Is it risky to carry a cell phone in your pants pocket?

Maybe. One 2006 study found no link to testicular cancer, but other researchers suspect a link to male infertility. Ashok Agarwal, PhD, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, recently completed a study in which cell phones were set down for one hour in talk mode, next to sperm samples in test tubes. He found that the sperm's motility and viability were significantly reduced, and levels of harmful free radicals increased after exposure. Agarwal suggests storing the phone in your jacket pocket to reduce exposure to cell-phone radiation. Pregnant women need to take precautions too, because a recent study found that cell-phone use while pregnant is linked to behavioral problems in children.

Are kids more at risk?

"Yes, since children's nervous systems are still developing, and they have thinner scalps and skulls than adults, they should use cell phones only in emergencies," says Gene Barnett, MD, professor and director of the Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center at the Cleveland Clinic. The association between childhood leukemia and exposure to EMFs like those from cell phones has led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify them as a "possible human carcinogen." The medical establishments in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom all recommend severe restrictions on children's cell-phone use, with some experts going so far as to say that children under 16 shouldn't use cell phones at all. Make sure your kids opt for landlines when they're at home, and if you must buy them a cell phone for emergencies, get one with a low SAR number.

What about texting?

It's actually a safer way to communicate, says David O. Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany. Since kids hold phones away from their bodies when texting, they're exposed to less radiation than when they have the phones to their ears. "We are very concerned about teen cell-phone use, fearing that we face an epidemic of brain tumors 10 to 20 years from now, and there are so few who are raising warning flags," says Dr. Carpenter. Make sure your teen keeps his cell phone turned off and stored in his backpack when it isn't in use, which will dramatically reduce exposure.

Lastly we should also not forget mobiles have an impact on the developing world - see my letter that was in The Ecologist magazine (Nov 2001) here. Also local Green party attempts to stop the marketing of phones to 4 year olds and under - see here. Meanwhile the latest on the Randwick mast coming soon to this blog!

Ash Lane mast planning application has gone in

I've just spoken with Planning, Orange, Parish Council chair and others re this mast application which has now gone in - see my letter to the Randwick Runner below.

Cartoon: from "local scribbler, Russ"

Proposed Radio Base Station, Land Adjacent Ash Lane, Stroud: S.08/0862/FUL

Orange have now put in a planning application for a 15 metre high mast at land adjacent to Ash Lane. By the time the Runner goes to press, the District Council should have put full details on their website. I have requested that this planning application is withdrawn from the delegated schedule as this will allow more scrutiny of this planning application.

To make comments or objections on the application, quote the reference number and get them to the District Council within four weeks.

It is my view that the mast could have a serious negative visual impact on our beautiful countryside from some key angles. This, is also, in my view the strongest grounds for objecting to the mast. Several residents have already contacted me to express strong opposition to this location.

The need for a mast in the area has apparently arisen due to Stroud College not re-siting an Orange mast from their old building to their new one. However many people report reasonable Orange coverage despite the lack of a mast. Apart from questioning the need I am also concerned that Orange have not done enough to find alternative sites. I am told by Orange's agent that the mast within Standish Wood already has an Orange connection and that the Prince of Wales mast is not suitable. Is there an alternative site that will not impact on people or our countryside?

A health risk?

Planning regulations make it very difficult to challenge masts on health risks: indeed I have been told by some planners that it is not worthwhile raising health concerns. The Government's Stewart Report sets out that the maximum beam of intensity should not fall on any part of a school premises. However, as I've discussed on my blog, the Government guidelines fudge this by leaving loop holes that allow masts to be built on schools. In my view if there is concern about schools then we should also be concerned about homes.

We should at the very least see the precautionary principle applied - the Precautionary principle states that in the event of doubt, risk should be avoided or minimised. In a telephone call with Orange's agent I have sought more information regarding the beam intensity of this proposed mast. My initial information would indicate that the beam is away from people's homes, but I await confirmation.

Other concerns raised

Additional traffic on Ash Lane: Orange note that they make only six maintenance visits a year.

Access to the mast: the proposed access track area could become a place for cars to park at night listening to loud music like in other local areas.

Visual impact: the Parish Council noted that they would wish Orange to use one of the masts designed to resemble a tree. They have done this in other areas but only when insisted upon by Planning.

Update on Randwick mast and Wi-Fi

I understand that the process for telecom masts under 15 m is that the company has to submit a prior notification. If the Council doesn't respond, or request a planning application within 28 days, then the mast has deemed consent. The companies are pretty hot on the 28 day rule however many Councils are not.

Cartoon: a repeat of this cartoon from local scribbler Russ

I spoke with Planning at Stroud District Council today and they have still not received an application for this mast - click on 'Masts' label below for background info - in my opinion this mast needs looking at properly as I consider this site is visually intrusive - indeed you will probably be able to see it from Ebley Mill and indeed from many places in the area.

Anyway Randwick Parish Council will be alerted if an application comes in - there does not appear to be a way for other Parishes to be alerted. Randwick will hopefully let us know of any developments. I will raise the issue of alerts for other Parishes as a separate issue with Planning in the hope that they might be able to introduce such a scheme. Planning have been very good in this area of information and are one of the lead Councils in making information available to the public.

Wi-Fi - unregulated and dangerous?

All the talk in previous blog entries of possible health risks has a parallel with Wi-Fi - again an issue I've covered before - but came across this good article:
http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1179

I think there are enough concerns for us to be more cautious about it's use - see Green party letter here. Basically Wi-Fi appeared on our shelves without having to undergo any tests or safety checks whatsoever. In May 2007 folk may remember that the BBC’s Panorama programme investigated the signal strengths used by Wi-Fi equipment. They measured the intensity of microwaves 150 metres away from a mobile phone transmitter mast, and half a metre away from a laptop computer – realistic distances at which everyday exposure might occur. They found that the radiation from the Wi-Fi-enabled laptop was at least as high, if not higher, than that measured in the main beam of the mast!!! Some Governments now give warnings about Wi-Fi use - ours does not.

Latest on mast for Ash Lane

Below is the comprehensive letter from the Parish Council to Orange as their submission to the consultation. It is not strong enough in my view in rejecting the site although it raises many important points - this is an AONB area and we already have too many of these masts littering the countryside.

Photo: view of mast site

After another walk there I am more convinced than ever that this is not a good location. Anyhow I have today spoken with the National Trust to discuss this application and I know the AONB folk are also being contacted. I have also sought from SDC a guarantee that they will let us know of any application submitted by Orange locally - see previous blog entries for background as no application has yet been made.

Proposed Radio Base Station, Land Adjacent Ash Lane, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 6EX

I write on behalf of Randwick Parish Council in response to the consultation document sent to the Parish Clerk by Lambert Smith Hampton.

The council considered this matter at it’s monthly meeting on Thursday 20 March 2008. With the contentious nature of this proposal the council were pleased to welcome the largest turnout of parishioners to a monthly meeting for some considerable time. The council listened to the views expressed by parishioners, particularly those nearest to the proposed mast, and to those of the District Councillor present and took those views into consideration when formulating this response.

While the immediate reaction of many councillors was to object to the proposal to erect a 15-metre high telecommunication mast in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the council recognises the benefit and public service served by having a good communication network. The council would therefore seek the following clarifications and would ask you to take onboard the suggestions, which are made in an attempt to make the proposal less unacceptable to the parish.

Clarifications. Purpose of mast - The letter from Lambert Smith Hampton states that the purpose of the mast is to improve mobile coverage for local and visiting people. It further states that the mast is needed to replace one decommissioned at Stroud College. The council are aware that the mast at Stroud College was removed at least one year ago. Not withstanding this, the council are also aware, from local enquires, that Orange coverage is still excellent in all areas of the parish. The council is also aware of an Orange base station within 1.5 km of this proposed mast. Could you therefore clarify why a new mast is required?

Traffic - Ash Lane is a steep, twisting single-track road that currently serves a few dwellings below the proposed entrance, two above it, a Guide Hut opposite the entrance and is used to access the National Trust woodland by both drivers and many walkers. The proposed entrance is at a blind spot where a footpath crosses the lane. The lane is accessed off of a rural road without footpaths that is used by pedestrians and particularly children to walk to the village school. Concerns have been expressed concerning the amount of new traffic generated by this proposal both during its construction and during its operation. Could you please give us your estimates of this increased traffic, both in number and size of vehicle?

Access to the mast - The proposal shows the entrance off Ash Lane but does not show any access track to the mast. Could you clarify if you intend to build a track to the mast and if so will this be permanent or just for the construction?

Cable routes - The drawings provided do not show the routes of any cables to the mast. Could you tell us if these will be over or underground? Do you have any proposed routes for these yet?

Mast usage - Will the mast be used solely for Orange mobile services? What power will the mast be transmitting at?

Suggestions - If the responses to these requests for clarifications were such as to lead The Council to support the proposal it would make the following suggestions to lessen the negative impact on our local environment.

Visual impact - The proposed site is within The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; it will also be visible from the Randwick Conservation Area and the Cotswold Way National Trail and much of the surrounding area. The Council believes that the proposed installation should therefore be designed to the highest possible standards. To this end the Council would wish Orange to use one of the masts designed to resemble a tree. It would also request that the compound area is further disguised by planting of a hedge of native species outside of the security fence.

Entrance from Ash Lane - The Council, in response to the concerns of people living in Ash Lane, would like the details of the entrance from Ash Lane reconsidered. This location is currently a very rural area and this should be preserved. A stone access track and steel gates will not help in this aim. The Council would wish the track to be in some form of reinforced grass and the gates to be in treated timber. Concern has also been expressed about the creation of an area off the lane, which may lead to undesirable parking and associated noise and litter. The council would therefore want to see the gates placed at the side of the road in the same position as the existing gate and stile.

Footpath Access - The Council would wish to see the formalisation of the footpaths that have existed for many years parallel to Ash Lane and from the proposed access along the western boundary of the field to the Cotswold Way. Dog walkers and people wishing to access Randwick Woods without walking on the narrow road currently use both these paths extensively. The Council would be pleased to see this path either being dedicated as a public footpath or as a permissive path.

Conclusion - The Parish Council would prefer the proposal did not go ahead. However it recognises the public service provided by mobile communications. It therefore seeks clarification of the points raised. If the council were satisfied with the responses to these points it would support the proposal if the suggestions given were incorporated in the proposal.

Martin Rendell, Vice-chairman, Randwick Parish Council

Parish meeting, Easter Service and mast update

The day started very nicely in Star Anise cafe discussing SDC Regeneration policies with another Green councillor, then catching up on emails before the Randwick School Easter Service and fair then this evening's Parish meeting...read on for more info re that and the latest on the mast proposal.

Photo: Easter Service

The Easter service included a recorder group, the infants choir, singing and a play by class 3 of the Easter story - also it was announced that Head mistress Mrs Montecute has got to the finals in the SW best head teacher competition - huge applause erupted around the church - this was followed by an easter egg hunt - all the school children managed to find one each - then it was a fund raising fair in the school - wind too strong outside - I was once again on the "Play Your Cards Right" stall - at 20p a go we raised £5 on the stall.

Later in the evening I was nearly late for the Randwick Parish Council meeting - 12 residents came and asked questions about the traffic calming proposals and there were several strong objections to the proposed mast - see below. The rest of the meeting I was able to raise issues like grit bins (investigations underway about replacements), watercourse wardens (Parish have now appointed Jane Godsell), free running (my hopes for Stratford Park course and more locally), the cultural services review and more - the Parish covered many other issues - heard from Mort re the great news re the village hall possibly being the first carbon neutral hall in the District maybe even region - anyway they will be writing a report.

Mast proposals

See my blogs on 4th, 11th and 17th March - or click on Label below. Firstly I have to make a correction - a big one - the mast is not where I thought it was!! This is partly because I did not receive the map that others got. In my first blog on this topic I had a photo of the map where the entrance was - I assumed the mast was there - in fact it is much further away - see new map.

Photo: Map of mast site - Ash Lane is still marked there but the mast is in the fields

The good news is that it is further away from homes than I had thought - although we still do not know the direction of the beam - however none of this makes my objections any different. I still do not think it is in the right place - it is still visually intrusive.

This evening several residents made objections - the Parish had had 4 letters objecting but 3 verbal comments saying they did not mind. I noted my objections. When the Parish came to discuss the mast later in the meeting there was a lengthy discussion - noting that health concerns could not really be taken into account - a proposal to object to the mast was not accepted - a counter proposal was put forward - much less strong noting they want to see improvements to the designs (some masts are like trees), planning gain like a foot path and a more attractive entrance.

Photo: Taken from earlier blog - rather than showing mast site it shows changes proposed to the gateway

I was disappointed this was passed although I do not believe it completely rules out an objection in the future. I also emphasised concerns that a new gateway off Ash Lane could lead to people stopping there at night to eat their burgers, drink their lager and whatever else - sadly this occurs at several other similar sites - it would be better to gate up to the road and make vehicles stop in the road and then open the gate.

Anyway we now await Orange's decision - some residents tell me they are still thinking of starting a wider campaign to stop this mast - they are still very unhappy. For now we still want questions answered re alternative sites, direction of the beam etc.

Mast opposition grows

I have had copies of a couple of letters and emails plus comments from people opposing the mast proposed by ORange for Ash Lane in Randwick - the letters include one from a 6 year old who wrote apparently of his own initiative to me saying "I am furious about the mast. It is dangerous to me and my family."

Cartoon: Local Scribbler Russell gives his take on the mast

Here is one of the letters printed by permission here:

Dear Sir,

Re: Proposed mobile phone mast at Ash Lane, Randwick, Gloucestershire. Ref. GL0136.

We are writing in response to the articles in this weeks Randwick Runner, regarding the proposal by Orange to install a mast adjacent to Ash Lane.

We are devastated to learn of the plans and wish to voice out complete opposition to the proposal.

Our family which includes children of 4 and 6yrs, live in the village. We are extremely concerned about the effect which such base stations and electrical installations have on human health, young children in particular.

Numerous scientific studies suggest such base stations are responsible for many adverse effects including:

-Severe and persistent headache
- Depressive illness
- Loss of short term memory
- Downs Syndrome in neonatal exposures
- Myeloid Leukaemia’s in adults
-Increased incidence of lymphoma and solid tumour formation if the brain.

Major studies reporting these findings can be found at www.cogreslab.co.uk/base_stations.asp

By our reckoning, the proposed site is approx. 600m from Randwick Primary School and approx 500m from Cashes Green Primary School. These are well within the 750m ‘fallout’ zone of highest electromagnetic radiation from such masts.

Studies indicate that children under 11 yrs are at greatest risk of developing adverse effects because of the thinness of the bone in their skulls. This mast would potentially put at greater of ill health, all 218 pupils in addition to the even younger village children who live here.

While we appreciate that these health effects are rarely given consideration in planning matters, can we urge you to please raise them as a concern, since surely, the more people that do, the greater the chance that the ‘powers that be’ will actually sit up and act responsibly.

From a planning point of view, the suggested location is within the Cotswolds AONB boundary, and the AONB Partnerships policies and guidance state:

‘Telecommunications apparatus should be placed on existing masts where possible’

There are at least 3 masts in this area that we can think of; Cashes Green, Bird in Hand and near the junction with Beacon Lane to Hares field. Also ‘Where new masts are unavoidable, they should be placed so that they do not adversely affect the views across, to and from the prominent skylines and thus damage the sense of remoteness and open vistas. Masts …. should use existing masts/structures where possible’

It also borders a Conservation Area where visual consideration should be given to reduce the visual impact upon it.

We are also extremely concerned about road safety issues at the junction of Ash Lane with the road from Cashes Green through Randwick. The road at the point is on a blind brow and becomes very narrow. We are concerned that if this proposal goes ahead, it will increase the volume and type of traffic entering and exiting the village and Ash Lane, at this blind and dangerous section of road.

There will be increased traffic due to the construction and later, ongoing servicing and maintenance of the installation. The traffic will invariably consist of larger vans and lorries which are totally unsuitable for such a narrow lane and junction.

Only last year, our 4 and 6 year old children suffered a near miss when a vehicle travelling up the hill, had to swerve to avoid a vehicle exiting Ash Lane, narrowly missing us as we walked along the road at this point.

Not only does the proposal fall within the Cotswolds AONB, but it is also in close proximity to and would be visible from, the Cotswolds Way National Trail. This Trail has been declared by the Secretary of State because of its outstanding Natural Beauty and is one of only 12 such routes in the Country.

Should such a visibly intrusive structure be encouraged near such a nationally important recreational site? Many walkers enter and also exit the Trail at this point and walk down Ash Lane to stay at various B&B’s within the Village. Again there is increased risk of conflict with telephone mast associated traffic. We urge you to please strongly oppose this proposal by Orange and encourage all villagers and users of the village to do the same for the sakes of conserving the Natural Beauty of this area as well as out physical and mental health.

To this end we will lend our total support to any efforts to ensure that this proposal does not go ahead.

Yours faithfully, Mr. Mrs Julie and Julian Bendle

Update on mast proposals for Ash Lane, Randwick

See my blog for 4th March 2008 for more info on the proposals re the mast for Ash Lane Randwick. My response to Orange is enclosed below - this is only an initial consultation but I already have had two letters and six emails expressing dismay at the plans for a mast at that site.

Photos: Entrance to site for mast at Ash Lane - new gateway maybe of concern re cars using it to park in at night to eat take-aways etc.

It is interesting to recall that Cainscross Parish were 'consulted' last year about a second mast opposite the Prince of Wales on Cashes Green Road, this was a T Mobile one (my blog has more details). The Parish responded that they couldn't see why that chosen site was any more favourable than the alternatives that they listed. However the mast folk still followed on with an official notification several months later, so it would appear that like the post offices, the initial consultation is unlikely to make any difference to their decision.

As noted in the previous blog they don't need planning permission but they still have to give a
'prior notification' which is dealt with by SDC in a similar manner to an application in that they send it out to us for comment.

In the case of the Cashes Green mast there was already one mast on the opposite pavement - rather than being a reason for not having a second one, it seems to have set a precedent for
siting an additional one in the same location. As a local person commented to me, the second mast seems even worse because it is on the pavement by Sunny Hill but the bungalows are set up on the bank making them practically level with the mast head. However diagrams of the beams viewed at the time strangely appear to show it at its highest intensity further out than that...

Anyhow the Local Plan encourages mast sharing but many of the Local Plan policies also seem to have loopholes and according to the company in the Cashes Green case it wasn't feasible to share the existing mast. Whether that would have been a good idea or not is debatable because it would still have doubled the output from the health point of view, but perhaps we can surmise that in order to share they would have had to make the existing mast bigger or replace it with a single larger one which would have needed planning permission, whereas the different companies can install any number in one place as long as they are all under 15 meters even though the Local Plan says they should share to discourage a proliferation of masts.

Cainscross Parish is very densely populated - the most dense in Stroud District - and the only bit that isn't, is the bit that's in the AONB which is Doverow Hill, so the Parish Council understandably responded that they would prefer it to be located in the AONB because at least it would be away from the residential area and they also requested it be disguised as a tree like some masts have been.

PPG8, the planning guidance on phone masts, of course directs companies away from the AONB and as some claim they can't oppose masts on health grounds, the LPA can only comment on the visual aspect, so the Local Plan also says that they shouldn't be visually intrusive and talks about the impact on the local countryside without specifically mentioning the AONB, which is why they get away with putting them in built up areas. So it's a bit ironic to see that another company is now applying to put one in the countryside up above Randwick.

T Mobile's agent's response to Cainscross was apparently that the mast met all the official guidance on the health risks so there was no point in meeting them to discuss other locations if they chose to ignore the guidance. It is also worth noting that the Cainscross mast is quite neat - the one proposed for Ash Lane is meant to have up to 5 dishes (3 initially if I remember right)....anyway here is my response to their initial consultation:


Radio Base Station proposed for Ash Lane: reference GLO136 Atten: Martin Grey, Orange PCS Limited, The Point, 37 North Wharf Road, Paddington, London W2 1AG

I have received your letter that Orange mobile phone network hope to put a 15 metre mast at land adjacent to Ash Lane, Randwick. I have sought initial comments from a few residents and have received several very strong letters arguing against this site.

Firstly, having considered this site I believe it would be very visually intrusive for a mast - not from all angles but particularly looking east/west. As you know this is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and this proposed mast will impact on views from many sites.

Secondly you note that you have tried to find alternative sites. I would be very interested in knowing where you have considered as I would imagine there are a number of sites that are less visually intrusive than this site and further from people's homes.

Thirdly it was my understanding that the Government's Stewart Report sets out that the maximum beam of intensity should not fall on any part of a school premises. I hope you can confirm this is not the case, but equally I am very concerned that a number of homes will be effected by the beam.

I would welcome your views on this. I hope very much that you will reconsider this proposal and look instead at other more suitable sites. Yours sincerely, Cllr. Philip Booth

Radio Base Station proposed for Ash Lane

I have just received, recorded delivery, news that Orange mobile phone network hope to put a 15 metre mast up at land adjacent to Ash Lane, Randwick (UPDATE: I did not have the accurate location of the mast - see 20th March) I have until 13th March to comment to them on this proposal: similarly the Parish Council have been invited to comment along with any residents who may also want to express their views. I have therefore hurriedly thrown together this blog entry for the Randwick Runner....

Photo: Site for entrance to mast on Ash Lane and below diagram of mast

Orange have not yet put a planning application into Stroud District Council but will do so, after the response they get in this initial "consultation". I, along with the Parish and several residents have contacted some local people but clearly there maybe many others who also want to make their views know. The time frame is very tight indeed, but this is only 'consultation' by Orange and not part of the local authorities consultation process. Although it is worth noting that generally it is only masts over 15 metres that require full planning permission.

Orange note they have tried to find alternative sites but as far as I understand it seems they consider this site best meets their requirements. They have not let us know where else they have looked.

My initial view is that this site would be very visually intrusive for a mast - not from all angles but particularly looking east/west. I plan to view the site more closely but wanted to meet the Runners deadline so that residents can also make comments if they wish. Visual impact, particularly in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is the strongest argument against this mast. I would be interested to hear how people consider it will effect them/

Health risk?

As many will know masts have been linked to health risks. The mobile phone companies are very good at putting forward evidence that shows there are no risks. However the Government's Stewart Report took a more cautious approach and sets out that the maximum beam of intensity should not fall on any part of a school premises. The Government guidelines in my view fudge this by leaving loop holes that allow masts to be built even on school buildings. Furthermore planning regulations make it very difficult to challenge masts on health risk fears: indeed I have been told by some planners that it is not worthwhile raising health concerns.

A couple of years ago I attended a national Mast Awareness Forum in Dorset that included experts from the Government's Regulatory Body, the National Radiological Protection Board and a number of independent scientists and other experts. The evidence of risks is still mixed, but in my view there is sufficient evidence to be concerned. Some scientists for example consider that children under the age of 11 are at greater risks from masts as their skulls are not developed properly. In one previous Orange application, a mast beam of greatest intensity was quoted as having a range of 750 metres. I have not yet looked at a map to see which homes in Randwick that range might include, nor have I been able yet to interpret the pages of data sent to me by Orange.

Many of us have long called for more action on this issue and at the very least called for the precautionary principle to be applied (the Precautionary principle states that in the event of doubt, risk should be avoided or minimised). I will view the site in more detail but will most likely be raising concerns with Orange about the visual impact and asking about what other sites have been considered.

If you want to comment on the site please use reference GLO136 and write to Martin Grey, Orange PCS Limited, The Point, 37 North Wharf Road, Paddington, London W2 1AG - or email comments to:

I, the Parish and some residents have more detailed plans of the site and proposals. Do please contact if you want further information. I would also welcome views from residents. All the best - Philip

Bees: A way to erradicate Varroa mite?

See my latest blog re bees on 4th January 2008 - here below is the research into mites in New Zealand promised by Aussie Bob Usher - in a phone call this morning he kindly gave me permission to publicise his results on this blog and forward it to a few key organisations - it would appear the light energy he uses kills off the mite that does so much harm to the bees in this country and overseas.

Photo: From the new animated 'Bee Movie' - apparently not great but claims to help give us a new respect for bees - suggest instead the movie link about Vanishing Bees in the previous blog on bees.

Clearly more research is needed to replicate these results but it looks good - of course we should also be looking at how we can tackle the causes of the problems - like the need to de-industrialise beekeeping - as the film mentioned in the previous blog shows we are putting bees under enormous stresses - it is no wonder they succumb to mites and Bee Colony Collapse Disorder - we also need to look much more at other issues like the impact of mobile phone masts, GM crops etc.

THESE ARE SOME OF OUR RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS WHICH ALERTED US TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF ERADICATING THE VARROA MITE.

Animals responded to treatment with the device. Race horse, Equestrian horse, both had Navicular disease, both are now normal. Equestrian horse with damaged spine now responds to rider with no pain. Collie dog: both cruciate ligaments badly damaged can now run and walk normally. West Highland terrier was almost deaf and losing sight, became normal again.

Plants showed increase in growth when under the influence of the device. Human immune system restored showing no sign of lymphoma returning.

As the bees immune system is similar to humans and animals, it stands to reason that any disease or virus the bees have contracted from Varroa mite and Nosema Ceranae would be overcome by the restored immune system. All we have to do is treat the bees in the hives and set up the devices. The bees would then recover naturally as the introduction of oxygen is the primary fuel for the recovery of their immune system, and the parasite cannot live in an oxygenated environment.

Parasites cause health problems: diarrhoea, fatigue, arthritis, anorexia.

Pathogenic Microbes invade our immune system namely parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungus, etc. As our immune system weakens our body permits organisms of opportunity to spread. Killing these organisms gives temporary respite giving our system time to heal.

Immune System: Weakening of the bees immune system allows micro organisms to invade the bees bodies and cause immune deficiency syndrome or cancer.

Bees:
1. Are susceptible to environmental stress (electro-magnetic fields)
2. Pollinators service truck haulage stresses bees.
3. Feral bees egg laying cells are approx. 4.9 mm wide Factory farm egg laying cells are approx.5.4 mm wide (bees bigger but not as strong as feral bees.)
4. Varroa mite parasite (blood sucker) transfers lethal viruses for bees through open wounds opened by mites bites.
5. Nosema Ceranae causes acute diarrhoea also affects the mid-gut of the bees Nosema Ceranae is an intestinal parasite, its spores are microscopic. They invade the cell wall of the bee with an explosive spring action depositing the spore contents into the host cells, causing Nosemosis, a parasite disease, which shortens the bees life span.

AIM

To kill Varroa destructor mites on Honey Bees, by applying the theory of Light Energy; using honey bees infected with live Varroa mites in a practical field test from a commercial apiary in Hamilton, New Zealand. Also test the effect of a non-chemical spray on the bees and mites.

RESULTS EXP. (1)

29/11/07 CHECK MITE FALL IN HOSPITAL HIVE

11 am 29/11/07 1 mite on sticky board

11 am 30/11/07 70 mites " "

11 am 1/12/07 59 mites " "

11 am 2/12/07 60 mites " "

11 am 3/12/07 43 mites " "

11 am 5/12/07 78 mites " "

Unable to further monitor mite fall ..

RESULTS EXP.(2)

26/11/07 CAUGHT 22 VARROA MITES

13 in Jar (A) set up for observation, with Light Device, only.

9 in Jar (B) " with non-chemical spray, only


27/11/07

11 am Jar(A) 9 dead mites 4 alive 69.2% dead
Jar(B) 7 " " 2 " 77.7% "

28/11/07

11 am Jar(A) 11 dead mites 2 alive 75% dead
Jar(B) 8 " " 1 " 88% "

6 pm Jar(A) 11 dead mites 2 alive 75% dead
Jar(B) 9 " " 0 " 100% "

29/11/07

8 am Jar(A) 13 dead mites 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(B) 9 " " 0 " 100% "

RESULTS EXP.3

30/11/07 SET UP PLASTIC JAR WITH 6 BEES SPRAYED WITH NON-CHEMICAL SPRAY

1/12/07 All 6 bees dead. (whoops)

RESULTS EXP.4

3/12/07 JAR(C) WITH LIGHT DEVICE
5 pm
JAR(D) NORMAL


7 pm Jar(C) 24 mites alive
Jar(D) 24 mites alive

4/12/07

7 pm Jar(C) 5 mites dead 19 alive 20.8% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

5/12/07

8 am Jar(C) 8 mites dead 16 alive 33.3% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

4 pm Jar(C) 16 mites dead 8 alive 66.7% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

6/12/07

7 am Jar(C) 20 mites dead 4 alive 83.3% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

9 am Jar(C) 21 mites dead 3 alive 87.5% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

8 pm Jar(C) 22 mites dead 2 alive 91.67% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

7/12/07

8 am Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

10am Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 0 " " 24 " 0% "

8/12/07

11 am Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 10 " " 14 " 41.67% "

9/12/07

11 am Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 14 " " 10 " 58.3.%

10/12/07

11am Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 14 " " 10 " 58.3% "

2 pm Jar(C) 24 mites dead 0 alive 100% dead
Jar(D) 15 " " 9 " 62.5% "


:: EXPERIMENT( 4 ) COULD NOT BE CONTINUED, FLIGHT BACK TO AUSTRALIA - CHECK IN 3 pm

Results clearly show:
ALL TREATED mites dead in 3 days
37.5% UNTREATED mites still alive after 8 days

CONCLUSION:

After viewing each experiment result, the results show that the Varroa Destructor mites die off due to the introduction of oxygen attracted by the Light devices, eg. Negative Ions attract + Charged Oxygen. According to information on parasites the parasites die off in oxygen-rich environments. These experiments show that this theory has worked.

Experiment (2) showed that non-chemical spray killed the Varroa mites, however also killed the bees, as shown in experiment (3), thus proving this spray not to be a viable remedy. However the spray could be used to clean hives with the bees removed, thus killing any Varroa mite eggs.

Bee Keepers opinion states Varroa mites live 3-5 days without sustenance. We proved beyond all doubt that Varroa mites are still alive after 8 days, showing mites live much longer than expected. (- maybe some could live to 10 days). On the 8th day, as we checked for dead mites with the end of our probe stick, we noticed that each of the remaining 9 mites would jump onto the end of the probe stick thinking it was a bee, due to the movement. We were unable to test the natural mite drop as we weren't initially set up for it, however it would not be hard to do.

The reason that this experiment was not possible to do at this time was that the influence of the Light devices would have been influencing the natural mite fall within a radius of 10 km., making a true 'before-and-after' test impossible.

CONCLUSION OF EXPERIMENT 1.

We observed on Day 1, 29/11/07, only 1 mite fell on to the stick board, while all the other days there were significantly more mite falls. This seems to indicate that the Light device experiment was a success, having this influence on fully nourished Varroa mites. Then the mites succumbed to the killing power of the Light devices. Thus using Light Energy as a treatment the bee larvae can be treated in the brood cell as the photons, eg. light energy, penetrates and treats all the larvae in the closed cells. From these results there are definite possibilities to eradicate the Varroa mite.

USHER INDUSTRIES PTY LTD. Research Division.
All experiments conducted precisely.

Another mobile phone mast for Cashes Green

Last week the SNJ reported that local councillors are fighting plans for a second telephone mast in Cashes Green just metres away from an existing antenna. A 3G mast already stands in Cashes Green Road outside the Prince of Wales pub but plans have now been drawn up for a 15 metre T-Mobile mast on the other side of the road in front of Sunny Hill bungalows which house 37 elderly people.

Local councillor Karon Cross has started a petition against the mast after residents raised concerns. She is quoted as saying: "The feeling from residents is quite strong as the mast will be almost level with their front room living space. I have urged people to write to Stroud District Council because many people are happy to talk about it but not many will put it in writing. I find it quite a concern that this is going ahead without much consultation. Why does there have to be two opposite each other. It's a eyesore so instead of putting it in the middle of houses it should be hidden more."

Lynne Edmunds, Gloucestershire representative of the nationwide organisation Mast Sanity, was quoted saying: "I think it's ludicrous to site a mast for another mobile phone company so close to an existing one. I don't think there should be any masts in such a densely populated area as Cashes Green. The only preferable alternative is for mast sharing."

I rang both Karon and Lynne as I am also concerned by the placing of these masts seemingly without consultation with the community - the District Council has little room to manoeuvre as the mast is under the height needed to have to apply for planning permission. However there are actions they can take.

In the past I have had little success in raising such concerns with the District Council - I have spoken with various independent organisations who argue that perceived health risks can be taken into account when looking at masts in planning applications - in Manchester concerns re loss of sleep were used to refused a planning application - some people I have spoken with have been so concerned re masts that they note they can't sleep.

Several comments were left on the SNJ website - here is one view there re being a NIMBY and one re the health risks with some comments from me:

(i) "So if you object to phone masts confirm you do not own or use a mobile phone, else just admit you're a NIMBY." Well I have a mobile which I share with my partner and use for work - it would therefore be hypocritical to argue against all masts but there are several quick comments to make here...
- because of the way the government has tried to maximise dosh from the mobile phone companies we have ended up with several networks - in other countries there is often only one or two networks and far far fewer masts
- mast companies seem reluctant in cases like this to share existing masts
- government has ignored the research indicating health risks and refuses to adopt a precautionary approach in terms of siting masts

(ii) "T-Mobile are again misleading the public. The only research alleging these harmful masts are safe is that funded by the phone operators. The truth is that over 1000 independent studies, linking phone mast electro magnetic radiation with serious ill health including cancer, confirm that phone masts should not be sited within 350 metres of schools or housing. Numerous studies have proved that melatonin, the cancer fighting hormone, is suppressed by this pulsing radiation. That's why the cancer clusters continue to increase in the vicinity of phone masts. Phone operators dismiss such research, alleging that their own studies suggests no health risk. However recently the national press revealed that T-Mobile covered up the damaging results of their own research. The Ecolog Institute, a research organisation which examines the health effects of mobile phones, was commissioned by T-Mobile to investigate the possible health risks of mobile phone masts. The 2003 Ecolog report confirmed: [quote]'Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer. This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system.'[/quote] So come on T-Mobile, we are not falling for your multi £million publicity machine rhetoric this time. The idea that unelected bodies (the mobile phone companies) have a right to expose people to the very real harm caused by phone mast electro magnetic radiation, amounts to enrolling the population in a giant biological experiment without their consent."

We need to adopt a precautionary principle re these masts. When I attended a mast conference in Dorset it was clear that much evidence was being ignored. We urgently need more research into them. We have been told in the past asbestos, DDT, Thalidomide and much more were safe and we've regretted it. Certainly we should not be putting up any mast near where people live and work. See more here and here.

Airbourne lidar opportunity for Randwick?

Airborne LIDAR - well I have to confess I'd never heard of it until the beginning of this week - Light Detection And Ranging - it measures the height of the ground surface and other features in large areas of landscape with a resolution and accuracy hitherto unavailable, except through labour-intensive field survey or photogrammetry.

Photo: comparing lidar and google on computer and below closer detail of lidar

It provides highly detailed and accurate models of the land surface at metre and sub-metre resolution - operating by using a pulsed laser beam which is scanned from side to side as the aircraft flies over the survey area, measuring between 20,000 to 100,000 points per second to build an accurate, high resolution model of the ground and the features upon it.

The Parish of Cranham have a project to survey a large area (costing many thousands of £££) and for a mere £2,500 extra they would consider Randwick and Standish area. One parishioner attended the talk at Cranham this week and was impressed by the incredible detail and versatility of this stuff - 'stuff' - oh dear my descriptive powers are failing me this evening - anyhow he contacted me and he kindly invited me to view LIDAR in action on his own computer yesterday.

It was certainly impressive giving vertical resolutions of only a few centimetres - perfect for a vast range of projects - particularly archaelogical research and flood modeling. One map showed the site of an old triangular Roman fort - particularly interesting as the road it was on has always been known locally as the Roman Road - it also showed at another site that instead of three separate forts there was only one - indeed it was leading to a rewriting of archaeology for that area!

It would be very wonderful to do the same here - particularly looking at the ancient sites in the local woods (see previous blogs re barrows). Plus it could be used for a multitude of other purposes - flood modeling to mapping toxic fumes from a possible explosion at a plant and much more.

I have since spoken with Parish councillors and also officers at the District Council - they had a very helpful guy there who was a mapping expert - I learnt that LIDAR data was used by the EA as part of the detailed planning for the canal line. However the District Council take height data from a company called Intermap - not as detailed as the LIDAR data and wouldn't be suitable for detailed analysis such as the very detailed flow modelling and archaeological applications. SDC have however used it for 3D visualisation purposes (e.g. for the Brimscombe AAP) and for planning applications relating to masts and turbines. In these planning cases they create a 'viewshed' - a layer that shows all areas of land that the structure can be seen from.

So where are we - well the cost - it's very expensive - SDCs aerial photography for Stroud District was about the same price as quoted above for Randwick parish - but then this is something quite different. The stuff (oh dear there I go again with my descriptive powers) takes up huge amounts of disk space to store (because of the detailed resolution) - and apparently software applications that handle LIDAR are expensive and need to be used in conjunction with very high powered computers.

Is there anyone in the Parish interested in taking this forward? The Parish Council members I have spoken to are interested - so are the local Historical Society - but I doubt they can proceed when we are talking £2,500 - then of course we need a group to follow up to analyse the stuff (OK last time I mention stuff) whether it be archaeological or flooding or whatever if we are to proceed we need to act quickly as surveying must start in new year when no tree cover.

Further resources:
LIDAR general - go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIDAR
LIDAR Archaeological Applications - click here.

Questions to author of this blog

The local community newspaper, the Randwick Runner, is kind enough to report on various local activities in which I'm engaged so I put the following together re this blogsite.

Photos: taken in Ruscombe Valley last week

Part One: Questions to local District councillor Philip Booth regarding his 'Ruscombe Green' blog that has been listed amongst the top Green blogs in the country.

What is it?
It is a collection on a website of comments and reports of meetings and events about very local issues as well as broader issues around my role as a local District councillor: the entries are written in chronological order but displayed in reverse chronological order. Ruscombe Green has been going for just over a year and has around 600 entries on a vast range of topics with new entries being added most days - plus many photos including local views. The entries are not crafted works of literature but often quick comments or write-ups of meetings or events or perhaps topical issues - often with links to other web pages. Comments, anonymous or otherwise, are welcomed on each blog item and displayed for others to also read.

Why do a blog?
The Randwick Runner is a wonderful community newspaper but it doesn't reach all the people in the ward or Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish which I also cover. A blog similarly also can't reach everyone but it is another forum where people can engage and debate on local issues. Local politics is in many ways not so accessible as it could be: this is one way to share what a District councillor gets up to and hopefully encourage more local participation. Of course I am also very happy to talk on the phone or talk with more local groups about my role on the Council.

Who looks at this blog?
The blog statistics can analyse in detail who visits: over 1000 people are visiting the site every month (more than visit the Councils' webcast which averages 536 viewers per month!). About 75% of those visiting are new visitors, some 370 people are returning to view the site regularly. The vast majority are from the UK but many visit from abroad: last month the site has seen visitors from a huge number of countries including Latvia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guyana, Ukraine, Thailand and even 9 visitors from the Ivory Coast. The stats can even tell you which town so I know for example 19 came from Melbourne, 11 from Los Angeles, 1 from Reykjavik and 17 from Watford! About 10% of people come direct to the site while some 30% come from other websites: for example 29 this month from Randwicks' website, 2 from the New Statesman, 160 from other bloggers. The remaining 60% come via search engines.

What do they look at?
This varies considerably: some spend time perusing through various local items while others just visit one specific item then leave. Popular this month has been items on the Open Studios, Mobile phone masts, a comment about the research on country walks reducing depression, a meeting I organised on Sustainable Urban Drainage and Richard Heinberg's talk to Stroud District Council's Cabinet regarding Peak Oil - this 'peak' is the point at which oil production rises to its highest point before declining and it is fast approaching with huge implications for all of us.

How do people find items on the blog?
There is a search facility: put in key words like 'art' or '20 mph' to find items or use the 'Archives' section in the right-hand column. There are also links to other local sites.

Is there life beyond the blog?
I do wonder sometimes about the time spent in this online world: the blog does take time to do but many of the items I will have adapted from other uses. A letter or report for example can quickly be turned into a blog item. There is also clearly lots that doesn't make the blog like meetings that perhaps aren't worth reporting or events that I just didn't get around to writing about. I would welcome comments and suggestions on how to improve within the limited time resources I have!

Next time in the Runner a report on some of the contents of Ruscombe Green

Visit Ruscombe Green at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com
Or telephone: 755451

Part Two: Questions to local District councillor Philip Booth regarding his 'Ruscombe Green' blog.

Last week we looked at what was this Ruscombe Green blog, who reads it and what is it for, this week we look a bit at what Philip Booth writes about:

What are some of the local issues you've written about?
The Wap, local attempts to slow traffic, the National Trust woods, the local bus service and attempts to improve it, proposed footpath changes, street lighting and whether it should be switched off at night, Parish meetings, homelessness in Whiteshill, vandalised grit bins, reports on local events and future events, local artists, the Ruscombe brook and more. There are also stories like a Peregrine falcon seen in Ruscombe valley and even a local sleuths attempt to identify the house in a 1832 painting of Paganhill Cottage found in Canada.

What about some of the issues re the District Council?
The various Council meetings and policy panels get mentions and comments - and of course the many consultations and various reports. I air some frustrations like climate change not being tackled with the urgency it is needed - but there is also a huge welcome where things work well like the Councils consultation on the Environment Strategy paper and how they listened to opposition councillors and made changes. The Council have also made much welcomed changes to their submission on the Draft Climate Change Bill and regional planning documents following comments made. I also mention some key planning decisions like the loss of Cashes Green Vicarage: in fact I followed that up with the Diocese who kindly invited me to make a presentation to them last month in Gloucester. I understand this has led to questions being asked at Synod to see if new Vicarages can all be carbon neutral rather than what we will see in Cashes Green.

And County issues?
Numerous issues including Post Office closures, furniture recycling, affordable housing and trying to see more 20 mph zones in our residential areas. One key issue has been opposition to the proposed expansion at Staverton airport: it is astonishing that Councils who have signed up to cutting CO2 emissions should be seeking to see the airport increase its emissions, when every other business in Gloucestershire is being told to cut theirs significantly. The science is clear: we cannot countenance any further expansion of aviation. I've written to many other councillors and the press on this. Another big issue is the 39 year old Oldbury nuclear power station (16 miles from Stroud): whatever your views on new nukes, to me, it is quite clear this power station should close: it now has the most heavily corroded reactor core of it's type in the world and independent scientists have warned of the serious risks being taken, even internal reports released under the Freedom of Information Act show that is unsafe to operate through to its planned closure date of December next year.

Any other issues?
The blog covers a huge range of other wider topics like the Government's push for more GM crops, concerns about biofuels, the national breastfeeding manifesto, David Drews' very welcomed sponsoring of the important Sustainable Communities Bill, correspondence with Ministers, ID cards - and more - like this month another submission to the Panel looking at Weavers Croft arguing this service must not close. There are also blog entries about the exciting Transition Stroud and their projects to find local solutions to the twin threats of climate change and the forecast dwindling oil supplies. This is a hugely positive movement that only started last September and has taken off across the country: here in Stroud there is a hugely industrious, enthusiastic group of people looking at community renewable energy solutions, local food and even have a license to grow hemp for clothing. One of the key notions being that it isn't sustainable if it isn't fun.

Can you leave comments on the blog site?
Yes - on some issues there are many comments left and emails sent direct to me: some debate the issues or add extra information, some disagree, some are supportive, some are anonymous, some are not. One guy in Seattle has offered his particularly good photos for use on the site, another phoned from Australia with additional information to an item I'd written about Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, another was the author of the book whose ideas I was promoting, others have debated local issues like whether the campsite should reopen in Randwick woods. Another comment led to renewed pushes to encourage Tesco to put up a bus shelter outside their main store. While an item on Painswick library's threatened closure led to the editor of an International Library magazine visiting me in Painswick with another District councillor: he now plans a series of articles on the campaign to retain a library in Painswick. I welcome comment and feedback on how to improve the blog.

Visit Ruscombe Green at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com
Or telephone: 755451

Planning training incl mobile phone masts dangers?

This morning I poured through the Schedule of Applications coming up for Development Control Committee (DCC) next Tuesday - I wont be on DCC anymore as the committee size has been reduced from 17 councillors to 12 and Greens only have one place - this will allow me to go on the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee - something I've been needing to understand - hope it is more exciting than it sounds!

I'll miss DCC but will still be talking to Officers about items I've picked up in the Schedule - this month for example I would like to see a waste minimisation condition added to one application and of course Sustainable Urban Drainage conditions to several - when are the Council going to add them as a matter of course - I'm planning to look even more into this issue as the whole system around SUDs is deeply unsatisfactory......moree of taht in another blog...

Anyhow the afternoon saw compulsory training for those on DCC - I joined them as it is important to keep up to date with changes and also still have stuff to learn - some interesting discussions around enforcement...

Mobile phone masts - perceived health risks can still be taken into account

One particular point I was pleased to have clarified was that with mobile phone mast applications councillors can take account of fear that residents have about possible ill-health caused by masts. This is something that I tried to get accepted last year when an application came before DCC.

Basically telecommunications base stations use and transmit electromagnetic waves and there is considerable public concern that such waves may have adverse effects on health. In 1999, the Government asked the National Radiological Protection Board to set up the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones. This group, under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart, published its report in 2000. The report concluded that 'The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of the guidelines. However, there can be indirect adverse effects on their well-being in some cases.’ The report also said that the possibility of harm cannot be ruled out with confidence and that the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach.

Health issues and public concern can in principle be material considerations in applications for planning permission and prior approval. It is for the local planning authority in the first instance (and ultimately the courts), having regard to the Stewart Group’s report and Government guidance, to determine what weight to attach to such considerations in any particular case. See more at Campaign for Planning Sanity here.

Mast and phone dangers

To me it is extraordinary that we can still put up these masts in residential areas when there is still so much doubt - indeed the disturbing evidence that emerges about mobile phones seems only to grow - for example 6 weeks or so ago The Times ran a report arguing that officially recommended limits on radiation exposure should be cut to 1/1000th of those in force. The suggestion has not been taken up by the company or by regulators.

The Times reports that "Campaigners claimed T-Mobile’s handling of the report was part of a wider pattern of behaviour by the industry in its efforts to keep discussion of the health risks off the agenda. The Ecolog Institute, which has been researching mobile phone technology since 1992, was paid by T-Mobile to evaluate evidence on its potential dangers. But Dr Peter Neitzke, one of the authors of the report, has accused T-Mobile, which has about 17m British customers, of diluting the findings by commissioning other studies from which it knew “no critical results or recommendations were to be expected”.

The Ecolog study, drawn up in 2000 and updated three years later, has only been published in Germany and was unknown to British campaigners until it was recently leaked to the Human Ecological Social Economic project (HESE), which examines the effect of electromagnetic fields on health. Andrea Klein, a member of HESE, said: “T-Mobile tried to dilute and bury it.”

Ecolog’s report, which analysed dozens of peer-reviewed studies, stated: “Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer. This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system.”"

We need people to take this issue more seriously - the Government note possible dangers but seem to do nothing - too afraid of those big phone companies? Locally I've tried to raise the issue - in particular to curb use of mobiles in Glos schools - see my most recent letter here. Still little or no action from the County on this - why?

We should also not forget mobiles have an impact on the developing world - see my letter that was in The Ecologist magazine (Nov 2001) here. Also attempts to stop the marketing of phones to 4 year olds and under - see here. Plus Greens challenge various mast applications - see for example here and here.