Some residents of Een feel surprised by the arrival of a 5G transmission tower and believe that the municipality of Noordenveld has taken a ‘sneaky’ approach. Alderman Robert Meijer (VVD) strongly disputes this.
In a few weeks, telecom provider Vodafone will build a 40-meter-high mast next to the Een football field. The mast will be placed a few meters behind the goal, at least 200 meters away from the first houses of the village.
The mast will be located on municipal land and in return Noordenveld receives a fixed amount annually from Vodafone. The intention is that this mast will improve telephone accessibility in the immediate area.
Some local residents are concerned about the effects of 5G radiation and fear depreciation of their homes. “Many children play on the football field here. There are children all the time,” says Elianne van Henten, who speaks on behalf of some neighbors. “5G hasn’t been around for very long. How great are its effects on health? I’m afraid for the health of my kids.”
‘That feels sneaky’
The local residents sent out a press release on Saturday in which they accused the municipality of Noordenveld of an opaque approach. According to the writers, Noordenveld made a communication error in a publication in the door-to-door newspaper last year The newspaper to mention a licensed transmission tower on the Norgerweg in Norg.
No one responded to this publication, they say, and therefore the objection period has expired. “That feels sneaky,” says Van Henten.
‘Dispute that it is secret’
According to councilor Meijer, this is not the case. “I deny that it was done secretly. There has been a permit application and we as a council have made a decision about it.”
However, he says that the permit application can appear confusing. “It concerns a plot without a house number. Cadastral indications in Een all start with Norg, because the village used to belong to the municipality of Norg. I understand that it is not very clear to residents. We will have to learn from that.”
‘Residents happy with the mast’
He points out that the football club and the Local Interest were aware of the arrival of the transmission tower. That is correct, confirms Local Interest chairman Tammo Oldenhuis. “But we are not a party. The first plans were drawn up between Vodafone and the municipality two years ago. Then someone came by to look at the situation in Een. One of our board members then toured the village. The first plan was a mast right behind the school. That didn’t seem like a good idea to us.”
After this so-called inspection, it was up to Vodafone to determine the final location and apply for a permit from Noordenveld. According to Oldenhuis, the mast will be “as far away from the village as possible.” He says that many residents see the importance of the Vodafone pole. “In recent years we have received quite a lot of complaints about telephone accessibility. I once asked about that myself. We hope that accessibility will improve.”
‘Mast to the other side’
Van Henten, on the other hand, hopes that the transmission tower will never be built. “There are better options than on this side of the village.” By this she refers to the school and the multifunctional accommodation, which are also a few hundred meters from the transmission tower.
“The other side of the village has worse coverage than here. There should actually be a mast there. We are still looking at the steps we can take through a lawyer.”