Greater Manchester councilors say they are being left “voiceless” over the installation of 5G masts as councils and local communities push for stronger regulation from the government.
Lawmakers from the region said they support tighter regulations for telecommunications companies that want to install 5G towers in the region.
Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East, Mark Logan, MP for Bolton North East, and Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, were called by Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, to lead a parliamentary debate on the issue on Wednesday. participated in.
They called on the government to force telecom companies such as BT, Vodafone and IX Wireless to undergo an application and consultation process before installing 5G masts.
Neither Bury South MP Christian Wakeford nor Bury North MP James Daly attended the debate.
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Under current regulations under the National Planning Policy Framework, mast installations are given prior approval and there is no need to obtain consent from the council’s planning committee to erect a mast.
Mr Logan said the mast “looks like something from a North Korean military base” and called on the government and companies like IX Wireless to listen to residents on the issue.
He said: “[I believe] Governments, but especially providers such as IX Wireless, need to listen more to residents and go through a consultation process to ensure residents are consulted throughout this issue. ”
Over the past few years, Bury has been the subject of a number of 5G mast proposals that have raised concerns for residents, including controversial plans to install a mast near the War Memorial at Whitefield.
In March 2023, a successful protest by residents stopped telecommunications workers from installing an “undesirable” mast in Brandlsholm.
Earlier this week, James Frith, the Labor candidate for Bury North, urged the Conservative candidate, who works for Daley, to attend a debate and said that he had been asked by IX Wireless, the company that has installed a number of 5G towers in the borough, to attend a debate. He said the donations received should be returned.
Mr Wakeford also reportedly received £3,500 in donations from the company before leaving the Conservative Party for Labor in January 2022.
McMahon argued that while companies like IX Wireless operate within the law, residents are being denied a say in whether 5G towers are installed in their area. .
MPs who attended the debate said they supported a private member’s bill brought forward by Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North, which would require a consultation period for the installation of 5G masts.
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In response to concerns raised during the debate, Julia López, Minister of State (Minister of Data and Digital Infrastructure) and Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, will meet with government colleagues and communications regulator Ofcom on the issue next week. said.
She added: [residents’ concerns] This is not what we want so it is being addressed.
“There are overall and well-supported policy objectives regarding connectivity; [but] Reliable, high-speed digital connections are absolutely essential to our nation’s prosperity, so we don’t want bad practices to undermine widespread support for our connectivity agenda.
“It’s so important that we have great connectivity in every part of the country, and we don’t want to see a digital divide.
“The aim of the policy is to empower communities by ensuring they have the infrastructure they need, and we don’t want people to feel that this is leading to a reduction in the overall amenity of the area.”
