Health and environment
Building a network of 3,300 masts - often in remote and sensitive places - has been a significant challenge and we know it has raised concerns for some people.
There have been some concerns about the location of masts, aspects of the planning regime, the rapid pace of the roll-out and about aspects of the technology.
We take concerns from the public seriously and respond to any queries in detail by working closely with local authorities and communities before, during and after sites are selected and masts are built. We aim to abide by the industry's Ten Commitments on responsible mast siting and we operate a consultation programme called Gold Star that involves briefings for local and regional policymakers and representatives of local communities.
A small number of masts are erected under emergency planning rules, which provide for temporary planning consent. To become permanent parts of the Airwave network they will require proper planning consent. If we cannot obtain this, the site will be removed and an alternative site will be acquired.
Sometimes, we face opposition to our mast structures. During Spring 2005, we were seeking a new site in Zennor, Cornwall, a community in which there was considerable opposition to mast development. To try and turn this around we have been engaging with local planning officers, the parish council, the local district council, and we have organised drop-in sessions and have appeared at a public meeting on the request of the police force. We have also maintained dialogue with a range of members of the public and offered support to potential site providers. We are hopeful of resolving this and extending vital Airwave radio coverage to the area soon.
We are committed to managing our environmental impacts responsibly with objectives and targets on the environment, waste management, recycling and the responsible sourcing of equipment from our suppliers. We were delighted to gain accreditation under the demanding international environmental management standard ISO14001 during the year.
Responding to worries on health
Some people are concerned that TETRA technology poses threats to health. We take care to explain how the technology works and stress that we comply with international exposure guidelines laid down by the independent International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). We operate, typically, hundreds and often thousands of times below these guideline limits.
The scientific consensus continues to be that there are no harmful effects from TETRA where these guidelines are observed. But some people remain concerned and we support the ongoing further detailed research including the Home Office project looking specifically at TETRA, which is part of the UK's Mobile Health Research Programme (MTHR).
