10 August 2004

Council slammed over mast misery for Riddlesdown residents

Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South, has hit out at Croydon Council for missing a critical date for a planning decision.

"Croydon Council had 56 days in which to make a decision on an application by
mobile telecom operator O2 for a 3G mast adjacent to Riddlesdown Station. This
application was strongly objected to by local residents and the Council supported
those objections and refused the application."

"However the Council missed the deadline for notifying O2 of their decision and
O2 have now gone ahead and put the mast up."

"I am dismayed at the incompetence demonstrated by the Council which has
allowed a contentious mast application to slip in by the back door. This mast is
just 60 metres from people's homes and I have every sympathy with the concerns
raised by those residents living close by. I call on the Council to get its house in
order so that this never happens again."

"As far as O2 is concerned, it is particularly disappointing that the constructive
dialogue which has previously taken place with Riddlesdown Residents'
Association has now been so dramatically overridden. I will be writing to O2 to
ask them to reconsider the suitability of this location."

ENDS

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