Antenna Removal Takes Away Amateur Life
/Ray Pratt, 92, says Stockton Council has told him to take down the poles which enable him to continue his hobby speaking to people around the world.
A disabled amateur radio enthusiast says his local council has "taken away my life" by telling him to take down poles which allow him to pursue his cherished hobby. Ray Pratt, 92, has made friends with fellow radio users all over the world for more than four decades.
But the wheelchair user says this vital link could now be severed as Stockton Council would not let him keep the two poles supporting an antenna in his back garden. No neighbours put objections in to the widower and great-grandfather's planning application.
But the council rejected it, saying the slim metal 10m and 7.5m "masts" outside his bungalow were clearly visible over fences, from gardens and above rooftops. Planning officers argued the structures were "lightweight and slender" but 3.7m taller than the bungalows.
Media Story - https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/amateur-radio-enthusiast-says-council-32479413
