el matador - This one's for you. Is nothing sacred?
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Western Daily Press/ Churches cleared to cash in on masts
Europe Intelligence Wire, Dec 11 2000
Europe Intelligence Wire via NewsEdge Corporation : THE Archbishop of Canterbury has given his blessing to controversial proposals to install mobile phone masts on thousands of church spires.
In guidelines to churches, Dr George Carey and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope advise "vigilant trust" if approached by companies wishing to install aerials.
But the Archbishops' seal of approval will not be to everyone's taste.
Dozens of pupils at St John's school, Glastonbury, were kept home in protest at the mobile phone mast installed in the church spire just yards from their school.
The guidelines have been issued by the Archbishop's Council to 13,000 parochial councils responsible for 16,000 churches in light of a possible GBP5 million-a-year boost from renting out spires and towers.
It is thought at least 1,000 parishes could be interested in acquiring a mast, generating an average of GBP5,000 a year.
The guidelines cite the recent Stewart Report. Commissioned by the government, it concluded that research to date "does not suggest that emissions from mobile phones and base stations put the health of the UK population at risk."
One that has already taken advantage of the offer is St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol.
Allegedly described by Elizabeth I as the fairest, goodliest and most famous church in England, the Vodafone aerials installed in the spire two years ago cannot be seen by the naked eye.
The 12th-century church's 300ft spire towers above the Bristol landscape and enables Vodafone to handle more than 500,000 calls a year.
Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe, Reverend Tony Watmough said: "It's a historic church and a fine building and we didn't want to do anything that detracted from the building itself. The phone company was very good at helping us blend it in. I think they saw it as an aesthetic challenge."
Although coy about the financial arrangement with Vodafone, saying it is in the region of the Archbishop's estimate, Mr Watmough said it was a vital source of income.
He said: "We are spending three quarters of a million on window restoration so any regular source of income is welcome.
We didn't have any objections when we were considering installing it."
Steve Jenkins, a Church of England spokesman, said the agreement was nothing new.
He said: "In churches, the chancel was originally the sacred part and all kinds of activities were held in the nave. There is nothing special about putting an aerial on a church."
<<Europe Intelligence Wire -- 12-01-00, p. Page 5>>
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