Many wanted assurances about the health implications associated with  increasing capacity at the site.

Two action points emerged.

1) A group of eight is meeting Chris Conway, Chief Planning Officer Welwyn Hatfield Council, on Tuesday evening to discuss the latest planning applications for more dishes and mobile phone antennae at the site.

2) The North Mymms District Green Belt Society is taking advice from its solicitor, an expert on planning law, on the legal issues relating to these planning applications and what other actions might be taken regarding this issue.

The meeting, held in the café at the Dutch Nursery, was chaired by Russell Jeffrey, who lives on the Great North Road, near the site and opened with Bob Horrocks, secretary of the Green Belt Society, setting out the technical reasons why there is such a concentration of satellite dishes.

He explained how the existing 'planning master plan' for the site is now five years old and is to be updated as part of the general updating of the Council's District Plan.

The Green Belt Society had prepared a handout listing the proposed changes to the District Plan, a copy of a letter from Castle Communications regarding their planning applications for more satellite dishes, and an extract from last year's Stewart report on mobile phones. Details can be seen on the society’s website www.greenbeltsociety.org.uk which has regular updates on all planning issues in the area.

Roger Jowett, a Kentish Lane resident continued the discussion with the results of his research into the health aspects of radio and microwaves. Various other residents expressed their views, demonstrating a great deal of individual research into the effects of such transmissions.

Arrangements were then made to keep everyone informed as to the results of Tuesday's meeting with Mr Conway. A further meeting may be arranged in a few weeks time.

May 15, 2001