———- Forwarded message ———
From: Paul Cardin
Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2024 at 23:00
Subject: Wirral Council 5G masts / bogus safety certificates / doctored National Planning Policy Framework document
To: EAGLE, Angela <angela.eagle.mp@parliament.uk>

Dear Angela,
Congratulations on your recent success in the UK General Election. I am a husband, father, author, Falklands War veteran, a long-term constituent of yours, a member of the Wirral Residents Association, and have been the proprietor of the Wirral-based http://www.wirralinittogether.blog for the last 13 years.

This year, some worrying issues have arisen linked to a large number of planning applications made for 5G telecommunications masts here on Wirral. Associated with these applications is some disturbing behaviour – on the part of private planning consultants – which I am raising with you in detail in order to alert and appraise you in your position as Minister of State at the Home Office.

A fellow member of Wirral Residents Association spotted as early as 24th April 2024 that Wirral Council’s online planning portal contained copies of 37 x bogus safety certificates (conformity statements) originated and signed off by a company called “Three UK Limited”. Upon checking Companies House online, this company had been dissolved in 2015, four years before discussions around 5G networks began in earnest between telecoms companies and councils. In order to satisfy myself that these were not innocent errors, I conducted some further online research and discovered that exactly the same situation had occurred at 16 further English councils all across the country. It’s likely that there are hundreds, possibly thousands of these incorrectly documented 5G masts nationally. I have made Freedom of Information requests to the relevant councils and these are listed here on the What Do They Know website.

The current situation is a rather concerning one; without safety documentation, the UK public have no guarantee that these masts do not represent a clear and present danger to public health.

Even more worryingly, my fellow WRA member had also spotted that the wording of a section of the government’s National Planning Policy Framework document had been doctored by an unknown party, then submitted in support of a planning application for a 5G mast near to a Wirral school. To be precise, the government’s NPPF wording “near a school or college” had been altered to “within a school or college”. 

The unfair advantage that would be gained by submitting doctored information is straightforward; one possible effect of this action would be to assist the applicants in avoiding consultations with school staff and governors. Further to this, after painstaking research, we have reason to believe that the above situation has been occurring on a nationwide scale.

These issues involved one telecoms company; CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Limited. Following our initial letter before claim, Wirral Council announced that they were mounting a comprehensive investigation on 18th June 2024. This was concluded on 2nd August 2024.

LETTER BEFORE CLAIM: Wirral Council’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Satoor was notified of these issues on 24th April 2024

INVESTIGATION: An investigation was mounted by Principal Lawyer Paul Martin of Wirral Council

FINDINGS: Investigation reports findings on 2nd August 2024, clearing CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Limited of any involvement in fraud

Crucially, however, although CEO Paul Satoor, Wirral’s 66 councillors, and Principal Lawyer Paul Martin received full notification of the above issues inside my fellow WRA member’s original letter before claim dated 24th April 2024, it appears Wirral Council have failed to investigate the most serious aspect of this; the deliberate doctoring of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework wording, which had later been submitted by planning consultants to Wirral Council.

In support of this, here is a photograph of the original, undoctored NPPF wording: “where a mast is to be installed near a school or college…”

In further support of this, here is a photograph of the doctored wording “where a mast is to be installed within a school or college…” This was submitted to Wirral Council as part of application reference ANTX/22/02163, a proposed mast installation on Hoylake Road, Wirral.

I repeat, the unfair advantage that would be gained by fraudulently submitting doctored information is straightforward; one possible effect of this action would be to assist the applicants in avoiding consultations with school staff and governors, an extra obstacle to eventual success is removed from the process, staff and pupil safety considerations are circumvented, and notice of any forthcoming 5G mast installation is not given to school staff and governors. Principal Lawyer and Wirral Council investigator Paul Martin appears to have deliberately ignored this issue, the most serious aspect of our case.

I would be very grateful if, using House of Commons resources, you could acknowledge receipt of this email and its contents, make pointed enquiries of Wirral Council with regard to these issues, pass your findings on to me, and represent my case by raising questions in the House in an attempt to gather information, build your response, and provide an explanation for this concerning situation.

Once again, congratulations on your party’s recent success, and I would be extremely grateful if you could address my issues quickly and comprehensively,

Best regards,

Wirral Residents Association

JOIN US at: wirralinittogether@proton.me