New cell tower fails to faze principal of nearby college

A cellphone tower was erected near Nayland College over the weekend, but it arrived without an objection from the school.

The tower was placed on private property near the college boundary in Seaview Rd, after resource consent was granted last year, city council planning and consents divisional manager Richard Johnson said on Monday.

The tower's appearance comes just days after Telecom said it would delay rolling out its new network programme in Nelson until next year.

The company recently confirmed that nine new structures were planned for Nelson and Richmond.

Telecom then said it was delaying the project as part of a national review of where to build the new network.

Telecom had already secured all legal rights, including resource consents and landowner agreements, to build on four sites: at Atawhai Exchange, which sparked the initial controversy, Richmond Exchange, Saxton Field and another near Nelson Airport.

The Seaview Rd tower was designated as the airport site, Telecom said on Monday.

Spokesman Ian Bonnar said the reason it went ahead, after Telecom announced a delay in the roll-out, was because the tower was part of the present network, and not the new network that had been deferred.

"It will have featured on the maps because at some point in the future it will be upgraded to the new network," he said.

The appearance of the cellphone tower over the weekend has riled a member of the lobby group involved in the recent campaign to halt development of a similar structure in Atawhai, who did not feel the Seaview Rd consent process was entirely above board.

Nelson resident and lawyer Sue Grey said the council notified only the Ministry of Education plus the nearest neighbour.

Mr Johnson confirmed that consent was granted on limited notification, meaning only the landowner and affected parties were involved in the process.

Helen Tremlett, who runs Catnip Cattery about 300m from the new tower, said she had no concerns about the structure, but she might do if she lived right next door.

Principal Charles Newton said Nayland College was told about the planned tower, and did not object to its construction.

He said the college took its lead from the Ministries of Education and Health plus the city council, which were the agencies charged with providing guidance. He added that the tower was a long way from the school.

"I'm well aware of the controversy over cellphone towers, but in the end it's difficult for us to make a judgment, and we had to be guided by the agencies charged with looking after us," said Mr Newton.

- © Fairfax NZ News