PROTESTS have been flooding in to Salisbury District Council over a proposal to site a mobile phone mast within 50 metres of a primary school.

Vodafone have applied for planning permission for a 40ft pole by the Exeter Street roundabout, near St Osmund's School The debate over whether phone masts cause health problems has raged for many years but, while some studies have suggested they can cause illness, the current government position is that they are safe and radiation limits are well below recommended levels.

However, planning applications for masts continue to raise concerns amongst residents living nearby about their impact on health, especially of children, and the school is to hold a meeting for parents to discuss the plans.

A spokesman for Vodafone said the firm has written to four local schools, including St Osmund's, but has yet to receive a reply, and the site was carefully chosen following consideration of 13 others.

  • For an in-depth report see the September 11 edition of the Salisbury Journal.