‘Landowners with telecommunications masts on their property should request information on radiation exclusion zones before the network is upgraded to carry 5G signals.
The warning came from Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) secretary and adviser Jeremy Moody.
Mr Moody said that significant levels of exposure to the radio waves emitted by base stations on telecoms masts can affect people’s health.The risks mean each mast must have an exclusion zone to protect people.
“With the rollout of 5G, these exclusion zones will be expanded significantly as the range of potentially dangerous radio waves is far greater than for 4G,” he explained.
Exclusion zones are typically governed by the mast’s direction, power usage and the height of the antennae.
Operators’ obligations
Regulations for zones are set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP). But mast operators are only required to self-certificate compliance when they make a planning application, said Mr Moody.
The guidelines state that exclusion zones for workers and the public should be mapped by the operator. However, there is no requirement for operators to notify owners, site neighbours or the public of these areas.
“Usually, that means that nobody but the operator knows the areas in which people might be at risk and so cannot manage liabilities,” said Mr Moody.
When applying for planning permission for a larger mast, operators are only required to confirm the mast will comply with ICNIRP guidelines.’
Read more: Landowners warned to be aware of phone mast radiation risk
