A vote is being held by Stroud Town Council to decide whether it should oppose the roll-out of 5G.

At the Council's meeting on September 2, a motion will be proposed that Stroud should not consent to the new communications technology being installed in the town.

The recommendation, led by Cllrs Schoemaker and Marjoram (both Trinity ward), follows extensive concern from not just the local community, but from across the country and overseas as to the possible detrimental effects of the next generation of wireless technology that follows 2G, 3G and 4G.

The motion being put forward asks that the Council should not consent to the roll-out of 5G in the town "until there is conclusive evidence from independent scientific research that 5G wireless radiation is safe for people and the environment."

The call comes contrary to the support of 5G by the government and telecom industry who cite the economic benefits of much faster broadband speeds.

Cllr Chas Townley (Uplands ward) will be challenging the motion, he says: “I do not accept there are any additional safety concerns about the introduction of 5G and I will therefore be unable to support the motion when it comes before the Town Council.

“This is consistent with Labour Party policy in the 2017 Manifesto which stated that it will improve 4G coverage and invest to ensure all urban areas, as well as major roads and railways, have uninterrupted 5G coverage.”

“In practice even if motion is passed it will have no real impact as the Town Council can only stop 5G on land it owns. Additionally, national policy prevents  planning authorities like Stroud District Council to ‘set health safeguards different from the International Commission guidelines for public exposure.’”

A spokesman for Stroud Town Council said the motion was proposed by two councillors and it had not yet been debated by the Full Council.

While the proposed motion calls for the Council to “not consent” to the roll-out of 5G it must be understood that the Council has no legal powers to grant or refuse consent for the roll-out.

A report to the Council by the Town Clerk states: “The only power that the Council might legally exercise concerns permission to install equipment on its own land which in the absence of specific legislation compelling it, could be withheld.”

Stroud Town Council will meet on Monday, September 2 at 7.30pm at Thanet House, 58 London Road.