The Church of England's Diocese of Lichfield has spoken up on mobile phone masts in a bid to pacify tensions after two separate demonstrations were held against mobile phone base stations in the Black Country.
Around 60 protestors recently blockaded a church in Wednesbury to voice their objection to a possible mast planned for the tower of St Francis of Assisi Church in Friars Park.
Protests have also been made against a mast to be installed shortly at the King's School in Wolverhampton.
The Director of Communications for the Diocese of Lichfield, Gavin Drake, said many of the protests are based on misinformation not only in respect of the effect on people's health, but also about the status of both sites.
He affirmed that there had been a mobile phone base station at The King's School in Wolverhampton for the past seven years. "All that is happening now is that the phone company wish to replace this with a newer mast," he said.
The local authority planning department initially rejected the application before the planning inspectorate later approved it on appeal. The replacement mast will now be installed in the next few months.
Mr Drake went on to allay suspicions that the Diocese of Lichfield has a financial interest in the King's School mast.
"Protestors have claimed that the mast has been forced through by the Diocese of Lichfield because we receive £70,000 a year from it. Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.
He assured that mobile phone companies pay a rental or lease fee of between £3,000 and £9,000 a year depending on the site and other conditions, although he refused to divulge how much the sites in question was receiving from the mobile phone operator.
"I am happy to confirm that the Diocese of Lichfield does not receive a penny from the mast at the school - all the money received is used by the school for the benefit of their students."
