What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the health impacts of mobile telephone masts on school premises in Wales and what guidance, if any, has been issued to governing bodies regarding such matters?
The Welsh Government is concerned to ensure safe environments for pupils and teachers in schools and my officials are keeping abreast of emerging information to inform policy development.
An Advice Note and Code of Practice are in place and there are procedures to give interested parties a say on the placement of mobile masts which affect them. Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 19: Telecommunications, gives details on the process of consultation that should take place between the mobile operator and a body potentially affected by the installation of a mobile telephone mast through the planning system. It also gives guidance on how this evidence should be considered by Planning Authorities.
Where a mast is to be installed on or near a school or college, it is important that operators discuss the proposed development with the relevant body of the school or college concerned (e. g. the school's governing body or the corporation/ institution of the college) before submitting an application for planning permission or prior approval to the local planning authority. When making the application the operator should provide evidence to the local planning authority that they have consulted the relevant body of the school or college.
Where an application has been submitted to the local planning authority for planning permission or prior approval with respect to a mobile phone base station either on or near a school or college, the local planning authority should consult the relevant bodies and should take into account any relevant views expressed. Consultation should be in the form of written notification to the relevant body inviting comments by a specified date.
Health considerations can be material when determining applications for planning permission or prior approval, as can public concerns in relation to such effects. Whether such matters are material is ultimately a matter for the courts, as it is for the decision-maker to determine what weight to attach to such considerations in any particular case.
The Welsh Government is advised by Public Health England (PHE) in relation to the protection of communities from exposure to radiofrequencies and electromagnetic fields. PHE advises that exposures to electromagnetic fields should comply with the guidelines on limiting such exposure published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In addition, PHE keeps emerging scientific studies worldwide under review and publishes comprehensive reviews of the evidence from time to time.
The most recent comprehensive review of the potential health effect of radio waves was carried out by the Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR), an independent advisory group reporting to PHE. The group's report was published in April 2012 and concludes that 'although a substantial amount of research has been conducted in this area, there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below guideline levels cause health effects in either adults or children. ' The AGNIR review includes a summary of several thousand measurements of public exposure levels that have been made by Ofcom near to mobile phone masts. The maximum exposure found at any location was hundreds of times below the ICNIRP guideline levels, and typical exposures were lower still.
The Code of Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development states all sites must be designed to comply with national health and safety legislation and with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) public exposure guidelines. All new base stations are expected to meet the ICNIRP guidelines.