Sheffield family's 22-year battle over phone mast within feet of garden continues

A frustrated Sheffield family which has been fighting to get a mobile phone mast within metres of their back garden removed for more than 20 years has vowed to carry on battling.
The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.
The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.

Diane Stevenson said she had to bring in the fencing around her Parson Cross home after Orange Communications erected the mast around 22 years ago.

She said the mast has been upgraded a number of times since it was built with more antennas added on each occasion.

The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.
The mobile phone mast that overlooks the garden of Diane Stevenson.
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Ms Stevenson said: 'When it was first erected I got my MP and neighbours involved and I've been fighting ever since.

'I was initially told I'd won the fight and then I came home one day and there were about 100 men on the back of the house and I ran around and told them they didn't have permission but they said that they'd agreed a deal.'

Ms Stevenson said the mast was around 30-feet tall, with a number of antennas is less than 10m away from a decked area in her back garden.

Diane Stevenson's brother-in-law David Kay.Diane Stevenson's brother-in-law David Kay.
Diane Stevenson's brother-in-law David Kay.

She added: 'When we put a new fence up around the garden we have lost a lot of my property because otherwise I would have been kissing this mast.

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'My kids have all been tested for radiation and these are the sort of things that go through your mind because it does happen and I've had quite a few animals that seem to have died young as well.'

Ms Stevenson said she was also worried about the impact the mast will have on the value of her home.

She added: 'I've been here 24 years and then after two years the mast was put up. I almost gave up fighting because it was mkaing me quite ill but I'm determined to carry on.

'In the summer time, when people come round or we're in the garden, the first thing they or we see is the mast.'

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Mobile phone network EE confirmed the mast was owned by them after the company took over the old Orange network.

In a statement, it said: 'We can confirm this is an EE site, and that it's located on local council land not private property.

'There is no recognised health risk from mobile towers and all our installations are well within UK Government standards for power output.

'We must stress that we must make sure our equipment is ICNIRP compliant.'