PRESSURE FROM community members has forced the Town and Country Planning Authority to now make it mandatory for cellular phone service providers to submit evidence that there was prior consultation and agreement with citizens to have cellular transmission sites constructed in residential communities.
Prior to the issuing of these requirements, it was not mandatory that cellular providers consult community members. The notice of the requirement was issued last week to cellular providers, Parish Councils, the Kingston and St. Andrew Corpo-ration (KSAC), and the National Environment and Planning Agency.
RESIDENTS' INPUT
The notice stated, "In light of the experience that cellular sites located in residential communities are usually met with resistance from residents of the area, all applications submitted for consideration should include the results of community surveys or meetings, as well as evidence that there was agreement with the citizens."
The authority also requires that a justification for the towers and a statement addressing the issue of mast sharing for each application should also be submitted with the application.
Gleaner sources say the decision was taken after numerous complaints were lodged at the KSAC by residents who accused cellular providers of not notifying them about the cell sites before construction.
Councillor Lee Clarke, Deputy Mayor of the KSAC, told The Gleaner in an interview that since last year, some 20 complaints were lodged at the KSAC. The complaints he said raised concerns about the health risks posed from the radiation from these sites, aesthetics of the community as well as concerns for their property value.
He said both the Ministry of Health and NEPA are required to give a report on applications submitted for the construction of a cell site.
"NEPA is the most important one, which deals with the environment and acceptance by the residents. We used to accept verbal reports from the officers but occasionally we have found that not all the citizens are contacted in the vicinity of the site," Councillor Lee said.
According to Leonard Francis, Manager of the Development Control Branch at NEPA, the telecommunication companies should place notices for the community's attention at a "conspicuous place and you have 14 days to object to it."
Mr. Francis added that a community consultation is only done by NEPA when there are residents living in a quarter mile radius to the site. In the case where a community survey is done, Mr. Francis said that the community's objections are taken on board and are hammered out with the company.
"We aim for a 100 per cent (agreement) but you also have to realise that some of these objections you have to look at and see what the merits are," he said.
