Have Your Say: Cell Mast

18 AUGUST:

Herewith our first set of objections to the draft policy.

Read the Draft Telecommunication Infrastructure Policy ‹‹here››.

LETTERS FROM RESIDENTS:

1. From: Richard Bendel

Further to the CBRRA AGM held on Monday night, I was told to submit a report on the blog relating to the cell mast at the Shell garage. I went onto the blog, but couldn’t see where I needed to submit this report. I am therefore sending it to you.

I bought my house in March 2003 and moved in in October 2003. At no time was I made aware that there was a cell mast at the Shell garage (which as you know is next door to me). I was actually only made aware of this when an estate agent brought someone to view my house a couple of months ago and this person saw this cell mast. I was a bit taken aback since it was the first time I was made aware of this fact.

I subsequently did some investigations and spoke to Andre van Heerden from MTN who sent me some information regarding the Health and Safety aspects of cell masts. This obviously says that there is no evidence that there is a direct link between ill health and cell masts. I did also speak to Joan Ross from Shell who weren’t keen on telling me anything regarding their lease agreement with MTN. I do understand that the initial lease was for a period of 9 years and 11 months (a commercial lease can’t be for 10 years or more) and that MTN had an option to renew. I am not sure on the dates of these agreements.

Since I have 2 very young kids, I obviously would not like them to be exposed to any potentially harmful radiation and would therefore like further investigation done into the terms of this cell mast, whether this was done legally, etc.

Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Richard Bendel CA (SA)

2. From: Anonymous

Dear Michele,

Thanks for supporting us, below is the report on Marine Heights (Upper Tree Road 36) and also 50 signatures from concerned residence who want to have the antennas removed. I also enclose some pictures of the equipment containers in the basement of Marine Heights and a photo, where you can see the antennas and 2 letters of tenants who moved out.

Regards

REPORT

“Marine Heights“

Regarding: “Marine Heights”

36 Upper Tree Rd

Camps Bay 8005

ERF 355

- Owner of Marine Heights (according title deeds) Mr Egbert Raymond Hering

- Rentals and maintenance of Marine Heights managed by Trafalgar

- Cell Antennas (all applications) managed by Warren Petterson (021-5525255)

on behalf of Mr Hering

About the current situation:

Marine Heights is a 3 storey Building, where about 12 families reside.

In the basement are 3 equipment-containers:

- 1 x Cell C

- 1 x Vodacom

- and 1x another container which is currently not in use

Each of the used containers is fenced by massive metal poles.

Everywhere are signs up that it is strictly prohibited to enter as it is dangerous due to radiation

On the roof on Marine Heights there are currently 7 Cell Antennas.

The building which is in poor maintenance state bristles of antennas, wires and satellite bowls.

Wherever you look at the building there is electronic equipment attached, it s like mushrooming and the owner comes up - almost every year - with applications for new and more antennas.

The access to the equipment containers used to be via a little drive off Upper Tree Rd. The owner himself sold the drive (as far as we know in 1996) to Quick Investment.

Mr Paul Ammann is meanwhile the sole owner of the property, which forms a new ERF 3248, including the drive. The drive via his property is the only access to the equipment containers in the basement of Marine Heights.

He clearly stated in several letters, that he is the owner of the drive and he won t allow access. This is constantly ignored by installation companies and it seems like, that the City Council is still not aware of the fact (or ignoring it) that there is in the mean time no access any more to the containers, in case of emergencies (e.g. in case of fire or just for maintenance work).

When the Vodacom and Cell C containers became installed, no one of the neighbours received any letters of the city council to get a change to object. We would like to raise the question whether this was legal to erect equipment without letting know the neighbourhood.

The contract of the one container( Vodacom as we can remember) was signed in Feb 2004. We could have a look at the file at the City Council with Ernest Kajabo who was that time in charge for the project. The contract was for temporary use (5 years)( Mr Solomon from City Council could verify all the facts) so it should be renewed in Feb 2009, which as far as we can say, was never done. Nobody from all our neighbours got ever notice. We went numberless to the city council, but it was useless, they were not able (or did not want) to assist us. The file number of this project was LM 152739.

Ernest Kajabo ( kajabo.ngendahimana@capetown.gov.za) could give us in 2008 the above file number, but he is unfortunately not any more in charge for this file, so we could not get to further information to do inquires what happened to the renewal of the temporary contract.

Later on when we went to the City Council to do further inquiries about the File and the Vodacom Container, the file was disappeared, the above mentioned file number was not showing up on the City Councils computer program and nobody could remember about anything. Other consultants claimed a couple of months later, that the above mentioned file number was never referring to the Voda Com Container but to the application to the Cell C Container.

So the question arises: Was there ever done any application for the Vodacom Container, including all the antennas?

On the 17th of October 2007 and in 2008 ( on the 28th of May) the owner came up with new projects: He wanted to have 8 huge poles ( I-Burst) on the roof of M.H installed, each of them 5 meters high.

Again all the neighbours objected, our letters were accompanied by a letter from the Camps Bay Ratepayers Association. We were lucky, the City Council decided in favour for us not to allow such installation. The application was closed in 2009-08-25.

In 2009 -08-06 the owner applied for a 4th equipment container and for 2 new cell antennas (MWeb). LM 2377(179395).

Again all residents, living in our neighbourhood objected and our letters were accompanied by a letter from the CBRRA –

Mrs Beverley Soares from the City Council was in charge of this application

(Tel:021-400-6456).

In May 20011 we received an invitation to the Sub Council, were all concerned neighbours joined up, we also had a lawyer joining us.

The judge decided in favour for us, it refused the application for further antennas.

The latest application (LM 179395) came in on 06-08-2009, again for Cell C.

The owner applied for an extension for his Cell c antennas.

The letter did not say for how many years he is applying for. When we went to the City Council (they never pick up the phone, so we always have to take time to drive there), the lady at the desk told us, it is usually for 5 years, but it was nowhere written.

The plans, attached to the application letter of the owner of Marine Heights, where absolutely irritating !

The City Council provided us with plans, which where not accurate: For example:

The containers on the draft are placed on the wrong sides and it is not clear which of the installations are already existing and which they plan to add. In addition to this, half of the copy with important facts about height and size was just cut off. Further on it was written that the access to the containers is via Upper Tree Rd., which is just to say: wrong! The only access Road is via the property of Paul Ammann.

All the neighbours again objected, we handed in again a new letter of the Tax and Rate Payer Association, a copy of the letter from Paul Ammann, various maps and sketches, which show that this is a dense populated residential area and all the antennas are too close to our homes.

Barabara Rogiers (Director of Pam Golding, she lives on the backside of Marine Heights) organized a lawyer, who handed in a letter (29 of March 2010) including a CD, showing clearly the negative health affects if you live too close to Cell Antennas.

The Letters were addressed to the applicant Mr Warren Petterson and to Mr Hering, Egbert Raymond (Title Deeds show that he is obviously the owner of M.H).

John van der Vyver( who also lives opposite the antennas of Marine Heights) wrote a letter to the ombudsman on12th of May 2010 and Paul Ammann sent again a letter (13th of May2010) stating clearly the the only access drive is via is own property, which he categorically will not allow.

We got no response.

Our Main Concerns are:

Health risks – it s not proven that radiation of cell antennas are harmful, but it is also not proven, that they are not harmful, therefore we would like to have them removed.

Research projects have shown there are definitely long term risks to the health, especially for children, we receive the radiation since 10 years, which is definitely not acceptable!

The Antennas are too close to the homes in our neighbourhood:

Usually you find such antenna installations on top of multi-storey buildings, so that the houses and residents around are not in direct touch with the radiation. As we live on a slope, we are at the same level (height) with the antennas and receive the radiation straight into our homes.

The only access road to the antennas and equipment containers is via P.Ammanns property, which he does not allow. So how can the City Council allow such installation without any access in case of emergency.

On Sat. 9th of May a truck came to offload 3 new Cell Antennas, which we think was illegal.

They installed all the 3 new antennas, when we asked them they told us it’s the same stuff, just “new technology”.

Later on some neighbours and me went again to the constructor workers. When we asked them they told us, its “good stuff” because with these newly installed antennas you can also have internet access on your Cell Phones.

The size of the 3 new antennas was about double size from the old ones.

It happened already twice that Cell companies arrange the workers for new installation over the weekend, well aware of the fact that we are hands bound, because the City Council is not reachable over this time.

They started always in very early morning on a Saturday, working till late and it was already dark, when they finished that day, then completing final works the whole Sunday…by Monday everything was always done and there was no change to call an inspector from the City Council on site as they (e.g. Mr Stephen Wilkinson 021-4006483 from the planning department/City Council) recommended us.

So to come back to the antennas, we came to the conclusion, it was not at all just about to ”replace things” it was clearly an up gradual!

We thought that any changes have to be registered at the City Council and you have to get permission for it.

Unfortunately the City Council was not able to answer us these questions.

Meanwhile the City Council finalized the decision about the already existing Cell Antennas to get him permission.

It is really irritating how the City Council can decide in May 2011 for “no antennas” because they would have been mounted right on the outside wall of the flats of Marine Heights, and 1 month later in June 2011 the same council allows continuance for the existing antennas although they are also mounted right at the outside wall of the flats. If you open the flats windows, the antenna is so close, you can touch it!!

Luckily the letter was accompanied by a letter to oppose the decision!

Unfortunately just view residents were provided by this letter and the time to respond was nearly less then 10 days, as the letter was delivered so late (the date it was written was already 2 weeks before we received it!!)

So we rushed to make lots of copies and distributed them to the neighbours.

Unfortunately in this time of the year lots of people are overseas and we could not get hold of them, but we tried to do our best.

So, this is “our story” and we are meanwhile sick and tired of it! –

By the way: The tenants of the whole ground floor from Marine Heights have meanwhile moved out. Also the other tenant from the corner flat, where some of the antennas are mounted at, moved out. The flat has not been occupied up till now.

These tenants were complaining about sleeping disorders and were worried about health concerns. The baby of another couple had continuously a rush. They told the other neighbours, once they had moved to another place, the rush completely disappeared.

They provided us with letters to confirm these facts.

We really don t know, what else we can undertake to have the antennas removed.

The only hope we have now, is to have the new draft policy implemented which is not allowing such a installation in too close proximity to homes.

We are all within 50 m radius, the antennas can be touched from the flats windows and the whole building bristles with cables.

Regards,

Anonymous

3, 4 Letters from Werner Kover and Louis Stoltz