Cellphone tower row
A GROUP of concerned Essexvale and Walmer residents are coming together to oppose the proposed erection of a Vodacom cellphone tower in the grounds of the German Alsatian Club in Target Kloof.
There was a similar uproar earlier this year when Cell C planned to erect a tower at the Walmer Bowling Club. It had Walmer residents, especially Clarendon Park Primary School parents, up in arms.
Tanya Wyatt, representing the Walmer Community Core Group, said scientific research had shown that cell masts posed a threat to public health.
Regarding the danger of cell masts, Wyatt said that hundreds of independent studies warned of brain tumours, leukaemia, DNA damage and other serious conditions.
In a letter to DA Ward 3 councillor Dave Hayselden, resident Linda Byron said that they (residents who reside in the area directly effected by the proposed tower) received a copy of the "request for authority to sub-let the portion of land for the purpose of erecting a base and cellular mast".
"We have not received or seen any notice calling for objections in the local newspapers and would like to ensure that our rights as ratepayers in this metro are not ignored," she said.
In response Hayselden said the item had not yet been submitted to council and therefore no advertisement for objections had been placed.
"Residents can submit their objections to the acting municipal manager or the director of land planning and management. Once it goes to council we will defer the matter," he said.
Hayselden said these steps had to be taken before the item was approved.
The Walmer Community Core Group has ensured that objections raised against the construction of the Cell C tower were taken seriously by both the municipality and by Cell C. Wyatt said that they had been in contact with the municipality who assured them that Cell C had not proceeded any further with its application.
Wyatt has formed the Cell Tower Action Campaign, a non-profit organisation to help the public with access to important information about cell towers and to challenge proposed future cell towers should they be planned for unsafe areas.