Lowry Hill Residents Association

L O W R Y H I L L R E S I D E N T S A S S O C I A T I O N.

226, Lowry Hill Road,

Carlisle,

CA3 0EG

22^nd March 2011

Dear Shona,

I am writing on behalf of the Lowry Hill Residents Association with regards to Application Reference 11/0001 TEL.

Following the pre-planning consultation organised by WFS Telecom I was informed of the proposal.

We set up a Web based questionnaire to allow residents to make their comments. These are included with this letter.

In addition the mast was discussed at our recent AGM. This extract indicates the reaction of those present at the meeting:

“There was a lot of discussion on the 3G-phone mast with Andrew showing us a map of the area it will serve and the various sites that had been identified by the company with the favoured site being immediately behind the entrance stone. There was a show of hands with all attendees (23 members present) opposed to this location and it was agreed that Andrew would send a letter of opposition with suggested alternative sites.”

I enclose a diagram of other possible sites which we have identified which we feel would be more suitable and which were not properly investigated by WFS Telecom.

We feel that there are better locations for this mast than the one which has been proposed here and would welcome these being investigated.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Rowell

(Chairman)

There is a form for comments on the article regarding the discussion on the phone mast here.

The comments are reproduced below with my comments after each one.

1

The alternative locations suggested for this mast are not at all valid and do smack of nimby ism. Further objections will result if any of them are pursued

Posted by Al on 20 March 2011 at 11:30

"Not at all valid"- has Al actually looked? Why aren't they valid?

2

Here we go again, happy to have a better phone service but no in their backyard , snobs me thinks!

Posted by C c on 18 March 2011 at 11:43

It might be nimby ism if we did not suggest valid alternatives.

3

Just because there is tragedy and suffering elsewhere in the world why should you not feel you have he right to complain. What is happening in Japan and the Arab nations is unpleasant viewing and awful but it is no different from all the other wars or natural or man made disasters that have manifested and killed hundreds of thousands over the past years.
What may just be another lamp post to you is anotherâ€™s unwelcoming eye sore. The people of Lowery Hill are perceived as an easy target at times but they also have to be commended for thier community spirit and pride that is no different than that displayed by other community groups around the city .

Posted by Andy Hill on 18 March 2011 at 10:54

Thanks Andy!

4

It's always the same with this area and it always has been. Even the Estate Agents promote it as 'north of the river' as if the south is downmarket.
It's about time the local councillor stopped supporting these demands and took a reality check, they're the same as everyone else in the city and should be treat accordingly rather than be given special status.
NIMBYS

Posted by Dave Evans on 18 March 2011 at 06:52

We are not asking for any special status - we are concerned that the location of this mast may not be the best in terms of aesthetic impact.

5

I live on lowryhill and have a mobile, i would welcome a mast any where if you look around they just look as if another lamp post has been put up.Any way just look at what has happened in Japan and stop winning on its not worth the fuss get a life. Get out more there is more to life than moaning on,

Posted by Dominic on 17 March 2011 at 16:55

Lets just cut mobile phone signal to Lowry Hill then.

Posted by anoony on 16 March 2011 at 19:58

It has got nothing to do with Japan and I think the appearance of the place where I live is important. We made it clear thatwe do not oppose the masts in principle and have suggested a number of alternative locations for consideration.

6

I can honestly say that after reading this article I feel ashamed to be a member of the LHRA!! I understand that they have recently improved the appearance of the estate entrance but to consider it acceptable to move a phone mast to a a childrens play area or the corner of a small cul-d-sac is a disgrace - I wonder if any of the members/comittee who proposed any of these possible new locations live on these streets or would be in view of the mast.....I guessing probably not!!

Posted by Lowry Hill Resident on 16 March 2011 at 19:12

Despite being a member it is clear that you were not at the AGM for the association because there was unanimous agreement at the meeting that this location for the mast is unwelcome.
Neither of the descriptions of the alternatives suggested are accurate. The tarmac area is not a childrens play area. It is just a large piece of old tarmac which often has lots of glass on it.

The large area of rough ground at the back of Moorville drive is very rough and uncared for land.

7

Saw the acronym LHRA and instantly thought of another NIMBY

Posted by ian baillie on 16 March 2011 at 17:04

See 2
8

I am not a resident of Lowery Hill but I do think there is an abundance of these masts in the area. There are 3 outside Morrisons another in the entrance of the Enterprise Spice and what looks like another near Austin Friars. I think the residents have a valid point to object to the proposed site but I do not agree with the options they suggest as an alternative.
Is it necessary that these masts have to be in a pin point location or could it be situated on the Kingstown estate half a mile up the road.

Posted by Andy Hill on 16 March 2011 at 16:39

Andy - if you look here you can see that they are targeting quite a small area

9

Lowry Hill residents just think when you have dinner party guests who have never been to carlisle just tell them to turn right at the phone mast, saves buying expensive Sat Navs!

Posted by Tony Millers on 16 March 2011 at 08:58

In reply to Paulm, do you really think that 'research' is given to the placement of these masts? I go for your second option a man in a van who drives around looking for a nice piece of grass to build it on!

Posted by Terry Corbett on 16 March 2011 at 08:55

All credit to WFS Telecom - they did do some research see here

10

If the entrance to Lowry Hill is one of the most attractive parts of the estate, why worry about spoiling it? newcomers will apparently be disillusioned soon enough! If long term health implications are still not known why on earth suggest putting it near a play area? Get a grip LH residents. If you want to live in the 21st century and have good mobile phone reception you have to pay the price, or perhaps you could ask for an invisible mast to be constructed especially for you.You are really showing yourselves up by refusing the mast.

Posted by city resident on 15 March 2011 at 22:13

We were not "refusing a mast" we were suggesting that there are locations on the estate where the mast would be just as effective but have less aesthetic impact.

11

I don't agree that it should be put at the "other side of the road", what difference would that make? and what about the people who live at the "other side of the road". By this suggestion, you are trying to move the unwanted forthcoming inconvenience onto the innocent people at the "other side of the road". How selfish!! So much for community spirit!! This is Lowry Hill not Beverley Hills!!

Posted by Carlisle Resident on 15 March 2011 at 20:12

The location on the other side of the road is screened partly by trees so it would be less obtrusive and there are already the large control cabinets for the traffic lights present there.

12

you've gotta laugh at these people from lowry hill they always complain they didnt want bus stops so they got hail and ride they didnt want a road put between them and the belah estate beside the enterprise so it never got finished they get lovely big play areas for their children when everyone else is loosing theirs like other people have posted i bet they're the first to complain when they don't get a decent signal

Posted by anon on 15 March 2011 at 18:59

I don't know the details about the bus stop and the road. It may well be that the residents did not want the residential area to become a fast cut through.

We got a new play area but we were not the only area of Carlisle to have a nice new play area. There was a considerable lack of decent play areas north of the river. It is simply not true to say that everyone else is losing theirs.

13

"A large mast at this point will seriously damage the aesthetic impact of this entrance area"
it's a patch of grass next to a main road surrounded by 70's housing... I'm not seeing the view from Ashness Bridge here folks

Posted by martin on 15 March 2011 at 16:41

Not Ashness bridge... true... but it is a very pleasant entrance to the estate and we have done a lot of work to make and keep it looking nice.

14

its not like lowry hill to complain dont want it there but hey heres a list o other places u can stick it if LOWRY HILL dont want it why suggest others you use the mobiles so DONT COMPLAIN when its situated in your back yard

Posted by john watson on 15 March 2011 at 16:18

John. Two of the other possible locations are actually on the estate!

15

Is there something special about Lowry Hill?,of course people living up there don't use mobiles do they!!, you will have to put up the the masts just like everyone else.

Posted by A Todd on 15 March 2011 at 16:18

See 14.

16

Well Done to the LHRA for their opposition on this. They have done a fantastic job improving Lowry Hill and looking after its residents.

Posted by Lowry Dan on 15 March 2011 at 16:14

Thanks Dan!

17

Got to laugh at the 'alternatives'
'The other side of the road', or in otherwords NIMBY....
The person who asked about the 'long term health implications', how many years did they sit in front of the old Cathod Ray Tube (TV) without a second thought ?
These locations aren't just pulled out of thin air, there isn't a man in a van who drives around and says "that's a nice space to put a mast"
Have a look around the net, use Google, and look at Celular Radio distribution, it's a fine art to give mobile coverage - and the amount of complaints because it 'doesn't work in my house' is amazing. You realy can't have it both ways.
Now I could live without my mobile phone, but I'll bet at least half of the people objecting have a phone, and half of them will be on O2/Vodaphone. It just comes across as a little hypocritical to me.