On 1st August 2025, the EM Radiation Research Trust submitted a formal evidence-based letter to Sefton Council in full support of the Sefton Residents Association, following the Council’s response to vital public concerns raised at the Sefton Council meeting held on 10th July 2025.
The letter challenges the Council’s reliance on outdated and narrow ICNIRP guidelines, highlights critical legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, and presents recent scientific and legal developments including the landmark 2025 Court of Appeal ruling in Steven Thomas v Cheltenham Borough Council. It also underscores the urgent need for planning reforms to protect vulnerable residents, particularly individuals with Active Implantable Medical Devices (AIMDs), cancer survivors, and those experiencing electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS).
Key points include:
✅ Legal precedents confirming health impacts as material planning considerations
✅ ICNIRP’s own exclusion of AIMD users from protection
✅ New WHO/IARC review strengthening evidence of cancer risk from RF radiation
✅ Emerging international best practices recommending 500m -1000m setbacks from homes, schools, and care settings
✅ Recommendations for reviewing existing masts near sensitive sites
We call on Sefton Council to:
🔹 Reform its planning policies in line with human rights, equality law, and the precautionary principle
🔹 Conduct urgent reviews of infrastructure near vulnerable groups
🔹 Recognise health-based objections as legitimate planning concerns not dismissed by blanket reference to ICNIRP compliance
Read the full letter here:
We stand in solidarity with Sefton Residents Association and all communities across the UK demanding transparency, accountability, and health-first policies in the siting of wireless infrastructure.