They have pledged to fight the schemes at Abbotts Barton, Badger Farm, and Weeke, which will come before planners at the city council in a few weeks’ time.
A large group worried about the proposed mast at the junction of Worthy Road and Stoke Road in Abbotts Barton met there on Tuesday to show their opposition.
Residents fighting the Badger Farm proposals have also questioned the company’s choice of sites. Brian Laming lives in Wheatland Close and his property overlooks the proposed plot at the corner of St Annes Close and Ridgeway. He said rival firm, Orange, already had a mast further up Ridgeway, which probably gave better coverage. There are concerns about the health risks of the Vodafone mast, but we can’t put that down as an objection. It could end up that this mast will lead to a radiation hotspot very close to houses.”
Mr Laming added that residents successfully fended off another application at the site in 2000.
The site of Vodafone’s third proposed mast, at the corner of Stockbridge Road and Burnett Close in Weeke, also has a controversial history. In 2002, Hutchison 3G tried to build at the former Texaco garage nearby, but the plans were shelved after residents threatened to boycott the filling station. It has since been demolished to make way for the new Waitrose store.
Vodafone wants to build on the roadside verge, and residents are preparing for battle once more.
Steve Brine said; "The Badger Farm and Stockbridge Road applications have both been proposed before and they have both been politely rejected before. I remember clearly the previous Texaco petition in Weeke and it was very important for us at the time. Vodafone are entitled to re-submit but I hope residents will re-submit their feelings on the subject and that the council will listen to them in all three cases.
"More generally, I think we should be honest enough to admit that most of us use mobile phones and that is not going to change anytime soon. But until the science makes it clear beyond reasonable doubt we cannot comfortably accept powerful phone masts in highly populated residential areas.
"It seems every so often we face a wave of these applications in Winchester and I think we need a better long-term plan to put power in the hands of the users they are meant to serve. I hope to very shortly meet, without any conflict of interest, some of the figures in this industry to start that work."
How you can have your say?
Visit the Winchester City Council website here and search for the application nearest to you.
Application reference numbers are as follows:
- Land Adjacent To St Annes Close, Ridgeway in Badger Farm - '08/02132/TCP' (by 3rd October)
- Vodafone, Telecom Mast, Stockbridge Road – ‘08/02155/TCP’ (by 6th October)
- Vodafone, Telecom Mast, Worthy Road – ‘08/02154/TCP’ (by 10th October)