Dear Jack Summers (Planning Officer - Brighton and Hove City Council),

WHP telecom have made an application (BH2022/03509) proposing to site a 15m 5G Phase 8 monopole phone mast and its cabinets RIGHT NEXT to Hove Juniors and West Hove Infants school. A school with over 850 pupils, plus many residences and businesses close by. The deadline for this application is Monday 12th December.  

WE OBJECT TO THIS PROPOSAL.

This application is in breach of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 117 below for the following reasons:

1. WHP have purposefully ignored Hove Juniors and West Hove Infants School and not properly consulted the school. NPPF 117a. This is a school with a large population and a decision to approve would cause outcry. Children and staff should not have this bearing down on them as they attend school.
2. The ICNIRP safety certificate: WHP mention it is ‘designed’ to comply, please prove that it will comply, and if Brighton rely on this as evidence realise that UKHSA places Liability on YOU. NPPF 117b.
3. WHP has not provided any robust evidence of investigating using an existing building or structure for this facility.  This it at odds with NPPF 115, 117(c) and DM25(e).
4. This structure would be overbearing and obtrusive in this location and cause anxiety and loss of amenity to West Hove school and this area. The potential severe visual harm is not outweighed by the justified need for this specific site.   

Schools need to be consulted during the planning application process, but children are equally vulnerable in their homes as are pregnant women and pre-school children. It is important to respect the 500m setback distance to protect pregnant women and pre-school children.

Children are inherently more susceptible to harm from radio frequency radiation (RFR) because of their greater surface area to weight ratio and thinner skulls.  Modelling has shown that 5-year-old children have a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 125% the ICNIRP basic restriction when exposed to ICNIRP public exposure reference levels.  Therefore, the guidelines set by ICNIRP are NOT safe for young children.  Many European countries, such as Italy, Bulgaria and Poland use an exposure limit up to 100 times lower than the UK.

Those with pacemakers, metal shunts, children with dental braces etc are not protected by the ICNIRP guidelines. ICNIRP admit that the action of RFR inside the body is unpredictable when metal implants are present.

Three claim that they are bringing 5G to the people however they only have a 10% share of the market and only 12% of mobile users state they want 5G. Therefore they will only be bringing it to 1-2 users out of every 100 in the area.

Please do the right thing for the school and this community and refuse this application.

Sincerely,

Catherine Michie & Deborah Griffiths 
Parents Hove Junior & West Hove Infants school