Kent County Council (KCC) has banned all mobile phone masts from its properties because of fears about radiation omissions, and is believed to be the first council to be working towards a complete ban within its boundaries.

KCC said it took the decision following the publication of last year's Stewart report into the possible health risks posed by mobile masts and mobile phones. Council leader Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: "We take very seriously the findings of the Stewart report [which] called for a 'precautionary approach'."

The council has demanded that mobile operators request planning permission for all masts, even though existing planning law dictates that they only have to request permission if a mast is taller than 15m.

As the landlord of council property, KCC said it is entitled to turn down all requests and is appealing to school governors to do the same where they have jurisdiction.

It is also asking district councils within its boundary to turn down requests where they have jurisdiction, and is seeking the support of private landlords.

Many cash-strapped councils have already allowed masts on their property and are locked into contracts, but KCC's response to the new masts could be replicated up and down the country, posing serious problems for the mobile industry as it seeks to build completely new third-generation networks.

Another weapon set to be used against the mobile companies is the Human Rights Act. Solicitors acting for those opposed to masts claim the Act allows councils to turn down planning applications for masts, even though there is no scientific evidence linking the masts to human health risks.

Social Security staff in east London recently threatened industrial action over the location of masts on their building, and the plan was subsequently shelved.

First published in Network News