One-woman campaign against Surbiton phone mast

Liz Broughton, 36, spent the weekend postering her local area, phoning schools and knocking on residents doors to gain their support in fighting the application.

If it goes ahead, it will see Vodafone and O2 building a 11.8 metre-high phone mast on the corners of Raeburn Avenue and Meldone Close, Surbiton.

Mrs Broughton, who has a three-year-old and an eight-month-old, said: “Falling house prices I can cope with, but the thought that this is going to be so close to my sons’ bedroom and the fact they don’t really know the risks, really, really scares me.

“I’m not interested in scaremongering, I’m just scared.”

Mrs Broughton is worried it will be an eyesore in an area which forms the entrance of the Hogsmill Walk, and that the proposed location is too close to Grand Avenue and Christchurch schools.

She also said that she feared what the combined effects of the proposed mast and the current Orange one on the same road would have.

The application also proposes a cabinet 1.89 metres long and 1.69 metres high, which Mrs Broughton believes will obstruct the view of children crossing the road.

A Vodafone spokesman said all their masts were designed to comply with international guidelines to protect the health of the public.

He said: “The consensus of scientific opinion is that there is no convincing evidence of adverse health effects within these guidelines and there is no scientific basis for avoiding particular building uses.

“We carefully consider the location of our masts but to meet the increasing demands for smart phones and data-driven devices, we must make sure that we have a good network of masts in the places where our customers want to use these devices - where they live, work and travel.”

Residents have until April 18 to object, but Mrs Broughton, who lives in Meldone Close, has also set up an e-petition.

Sign the petition at petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopphonemastsurb.