After Post Office closures Conservatives now say one thing and do the opposite with phone masts

9.41.33am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 13th Jul 2008

Lib Dems are campaigning against inappropriate placing of phone masts

Having already lambasted the Conservatives for failing to support their own Opposition Day Motion against Post Office closures Liberal Democrats have launched a stinging attack on Tory MPs for refusing to support the tightening of mobile phone mast rules.

Liberal Democrats in Parliament recently moved an amendment to the Planning Bill which would have required full planning permission for phone masts and them being considered in the same way as applications for new buildings or change of use of existing ones.

But despite pledging to do this at the last General Election Tory MPs abstained - once again showing that as with Post Office closures their promises are puffery.

Jonathan Chatfield the Lib Dems' parliamentary spokesperson for South East Cambridgeshire explained:

"Communities can sometimes be powerless to stop inappropriately sited phone masts such as beside a school from going ahead because the planning system has fewer restrictions on them than for many other planning applications.

"This gives phone companies an advantage which is not enjoyed by other individuals and businesses applying for planning permission. Our amendment would have made the system fairer.

"I was very disappointed however to see that the Conservatives including Jim Paice MP did not bother to vote for this change, despite telling everyone at the general election that they support this policy.

"Astonishingly exactly the same proposal was put forward in 2006 by Tory MP David Curry and officially backed by their front bench.

"As a result, communities in South East Cambridgeshire will continue to find it hard to battle against inappropriate phone masts."