DUE TO HEALTH HAZARDS A DISTRICT COURT IN BELGIUM BANS THE INSTALLATION OF A CELL PHONE TOWER
Christiane Tourtet B.A.
June 16, 2009
The construction work of the installation of a 28-metre cell phone tower, that had already been started in Drongen (Belgium) was halted, by the judgment of the District Court of Ghent, on May 18, 2009. Phones companies , as it happens so often, had decided to install the new cell phone tower for the Belgian national railways ( SNBC) in a quite busy urban place with a primary school and a hall for local youth groups.
This was, one of the reason, why the local residents decided to take their case to court. The court considered that "until it has been scientifically proven that radiation from relay antennas are without danger to human health, it should be admitted that it probably is dangerous".
Since the court decided that the health risk cited in their objection by the plaintiffs, to the planning application, was a legitimate ground for complaint, then the authorities will be directly affected, which means that the usual criteria for planning consent as well as the impact on urban context are no longer adequate and that pollution and disturbance of the environment are a new ecological parameter that must be taken into account.
It was declared in a joint Press Release (NL) by the Belgian environmental actions group that are fighting against pollution from electromagnetic HF microwave radiation, that " This verdict from the court of Ghent is a leap forward in the recognition by the Belgium courts of the potential threat to public health posed by relay antennas, and is a legal step in Belgium….The court also took into account the fact that the mast would have a negative visual impact, and would cause a depreciation in the value of nearby properties".
According to the group´s spokesman "Beperk de Straling", Jan Allein, who was also one of the plaintiffs who brought the case "The court has now clearly decreed that the authorities have to take account of health hazards and environmental issues, and not only of the visual criteria, when they make a decision about a planning application". The action group is very hopeful that this verdict will set a legal precedent.
Resource:
www.next-up.org
© 2009 Christiane Tourtet .
This was, one of the reason, why the local residents decided to take their case to court. The court considered that "until it has been scientifically proven that radiation from relay antennas are without danger to human health, it should be admitted that it probably is dangerous".
Since the court decided that the health risk cited in their objection by the plaintiffs, to the planning application, was a legitimate ground for complaint, then the authorities will be directly affected, which means that the usual criteria for planning consent as well as the impact on urban context are no longer adequate and that pollution and disturbance of the environment are a new ecological parameter that must be taken into account.
It was declared in a joint Press Release (NL) by the Belgian environmental actions group that are fighting against pollution from electromagnetic HF microwave radiation, that " This verdict from the court of Ghent is a leap forward in the recognition by the Belgium courts of the potential threat to public health posed by relay antennas, and is a legal step in Belgium….The court also took into account the fact that the mast would have a negative visual impact, and would cause a depreciation in the value of nearby properties".
According to the group´s spokesman "Beperk de Straling", Jan Allein, who was also one of the plaintiffs who brought the case "The court has now clearly decreed that the authorities have to take account of health hazards and environmental issues, and not only of the visual criteria, when they make a decision about a planning application". The action group is very hopeful that this verdict will set a legal precedent.
Resource:
www.next-up.org
© 2009 Christiane Tourtet .
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