THERE is no doubt that a mistake was made by the planning department in not informing some of the residents in Down Road of the application for the mobile telephone mast. That mistake has, I believe, been acknowledged by those involved.

However, no matter how many residents might have been informed (in fact, I understand, only three needed to be told in law), the permission to erect the mast was given by that Prime Minister who privatised the utilities all those years ago and, in doing so, passed to the private companies the privilege known as Deemed Consent.

In doing so, those companies can erect a mast wherever they wish, provided that the mast is no higher than 15 metres (49.2 feet). Plus, it so happens, the 15-metre height of the mast does not include any base that the mast might be standing on. Therefore, if the mast is, for example, fixed to a control cabinet of 1 metre high, then you have a total height of 16 metres (52.5 feet).

The planing department staff cannot be blamed for the legislation they have to work within. Under that legislation, the privatised utilities can ignore any objections, since they know full well that the law is on their side and not on the side of the objectors. This puts the planners in a real bind, knowing that whatever happens they will be blamed, not the legislators.

It is my opinion that the policy of delegation of planning decisions has added to the work undertaken by the planning department, a policy that has expanded from 'Permission for porches and garages' to much larger development applications.

Perhaps those councillors who are so eager to criticise the planning department should start looking at what it is being asked to do; ask those that work there before condemning them to more stress!

Brian Salt

Cruets

The Village

Buckland Monachorum