Issue - meetings

To deal with matters raised by members of the public resident within the Borough, of which notice has been given in accordance with the procedures relating to public questions, motions or petitions set out in Paragraph 36 to 47 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules in Chapter 4 of the Council Constitution.

(A)Stop the 5G Rollout in Sefton

(Details of any further petitions notified or questions submitted by members of the public will be circulated at the meeting).

The Mayor reported that a public petition had been received containing 752 signatures in relation to Stop the 5G Rollout in Sefton. The terms of the petition stated:

“We the undersigned petition the council to Protect people's health by halting the installation of 5G antennas throughout the borough of Sefton

In a press release on 9 September 2021, the government announced that £4 million of public funds will be used to help mobile phone companies work together with local councils to use “curbside infrastructure”, such as lampposts and bus shelters, for 5G network equipment.

If Sefton Council takes part in this project, there will soon be 5G wireless antennas on lampposts throughout Sefton, beaming unprecedented levels of hazardous electromagnetic radiation (EMR) into our homes, workplaces and schools.

Shockingly, the industry has not produced a single study to show that 5G technology is safe. No risk assessment has been carried out on its effects on humans, wildlife or the environment. On the other hand, evidence from thousands of peer-reviewed studies already points to possible harms from existing sources of radiation, such as WiFi, 3G and 4G. Experts warn that the addition of 5G to the mix could have very serious and damaging consequences for human health.

EMR was classified as a possible human carcinogen in 2011 by the World Health Organisation International Agency for Research on Cancer. Since then, evidence of increased cancer risks has been strengthened by further human and animal studies.

Cancer rates have skyrocketed in recent years. The vast majority of people in Sefton, and indeed across the UK, will have an affected family member or friend…or will be a cancer sufferer or survivor themselves. Who knows to what extent existing radiation is driving the increase? Who knows how many more people could develop cancer as a result of 5G?

Other proven effects of EMR include damage to the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, and neurological disorders.

Children are at greater risk of harm from EMR, because their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner, and they are physically smaller. Why then are 5G masts being erected near schools across the UK, including Sefton?

The 5G rollout is being challenged on the grounds of safety by scientists and lawyers across the world, including a legal team headed by Michael Mansfield QC here in the UK. In August 2021 in the USA, Robert F. Kennedy Jnr’s Children’s Health Defense and the Environmental Health Trust successfully sued the Federal Communications Commission for failing to ensure that its guidelines adequately protect against harmful effects of exposure to EMR.

Is a faster internet connection worth the potential serious harm that 5G could cause to people’s health? Have any of us ever been asked whether we think the risks are worth taking?

As residents of Sefton, we demand an immediate halt to the 5G rollout across Sefton, to allow for thorough and comprehensive health and safety investigations and risk assessments to be carried out.

References:

Government press release (09/09/2021):  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84