With residents in Wyre Forest disappointed that little action is being taken in Westminster over their concerns regarding telephone mast planning, relief may be coming in the form of a Private Members Bill to move the emphasis of planning to local councils.
Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest, delivered a petition in early 2005 from over a 1,000 Wyre Forest residents highlighting their desire for a change in the law to allow local residents a say in local planning applications.
As a result of this, and other petitions, Conservative Member of Parliament David Curry is tabling a Private Member's Bill to allow local residents more of a say over where unsightly telephone masts are located. This Bill will receive its first reading on the 3rd March.
With as many as 50 planning applications for telecoms masts expected in Wyre Forest this year alone, there has never been a more urgent requirement for the planning law to be changed.
Mark Garnier met with David Curry to discuss the issues on Monday. "Here is a perfect example of team work in action" he said. "No individual can change the law, but with the support of my Conservative colleagues in Westminster, it is only now that we have a real chance of something happening for the better for Wyre Forest's residents."
David Curry continued: "It is directly as a result of Mark Garnier's positive action, and others like him, that I am tabling this Private Member's Bill. Without a change in the law, there is no way that the final decision on telephone mast planning can be handed back to locally elected councillors, acting to the best interests of their constituents."
In order for David Curry's Bill to be placed on the statute book, it needs the support Labour Backbench MPs. Mark Garnier: "The fact is, the Labour Government is completely opposed to a law change as proposed in David Curry's Bill. However, people in Wyre Forest can help to get this bill through. I am appealing to everyone in Wyre Forest to persuade their friends, family and workmates who live in Labour held constituencies to write to their MP, asking them to support David Curry's bill. I have already written to Richard Taylor, Wyre Forest's MP, to ensure he does not ignore this Bill this time. Inexplicably, he failed to support this same bill when it was presented at Westminster in May 2004."
David Curry's bill has certainly hit the mark with local councillors. On Wednesday this week, the council's cabinet scrutiny committee unanimously endorsed David Curry's Bill and it is expected that the cabinet will come in behind David's positive action as well.
With 84% of Wyre Forest residents owning a mobile phone, the good that they can bring is well recognized. The proposed change in legislation, however, merely proposes to let residents decide where telephone masts should be located and in no way proposes to ban them altogether.