Milford Mercury | Local News, Sport & Entertainment

Mass mast protest

From the Milford Mercury, first published Thursday 21st Apr 2005.

HUNDREDS of people turned out to voice their concern about the siting of a Tetra mast at Haverfordwest police station last week.

Over 300 worried residents, and pupils and parents from the town's eight nearby schools staged a protest last Friday against the controversial communications mast which has been placed on Haverfordwest police station and is due to start operating in June.

The protestors are worried about health fears surrounding Tetra technology and say the mast is too close to primary and secondary schools and densely populated residential areas.

Haverfordwest county councillor Tom Tudor said: "The protest went very well and there was a lot of support from all areas of the community. It has certainly given the message to the powers that be that the people of Haverfordwest do not want a Tetra mast in our town."

Cllr David Bryan is the county councillor for Priory ward which includes the police station and successfully campaigned against a plan for a Tetra mast in Uzmaston. The county council planning committee turned down the plan in December, but o2 is considering an appeal against the decision.

He said: "We don't want Tetra anywhere in Pembrokeshire, not in Uzmaston or at Haverfordwest police station. I know we will have Tetra in Pembrokeshire but we want it to be out in open spaces away from civilisation and human beings and there are plenty of places like that in Pembrokeshire."

Inspector Nick Pope said: "The force wishes to re-state it's position that this base station is a temporary solution to the lack of radio coverage in the area, and that o2 Airwave, the commercial organisation responsible for providing coverage to this area as part of the national Airwave police radio programme, will have to find an alternative permanent site from which this radio coverage can be provided. This will allow our officers to use the service operationally whilst o2 Airwave seek a suitable permanent alternative."

A spokesman for 02 Airwave said the mast at the police station was "the current solution for coverage in Haverfordwest."

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