ANGRY anti-5G campaigners have accused BCP Council’s cabinet of “voting for genocide” by approving a trial of the technology in Bournemouth.

The £1.3 million pilot of the network was approved for parts of Lansdowne last month, with the council saying it could provide “significant benefits”.

But protestors claimed at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that the more intense emissions of 5G will have an impact on people’s health.

Dozens were in attendance to hear the discussion on a proposed conurbation-wide “smart places programme”, part of which will involve taking advantage of 5G

The council said this could allow a series of apps to be created to better connected businesses and improve public transport which would benefit from the network's higher speeds.

Speaking at the start of the meeting, Lee Farmer said: “A vote to invoke the roll-out of 5G is a vote for genocide.”

Several other statements were made urging the council to oppose any introduction of the technology.

Christopher Gordon said people living in the area of the Lansdowne trial would be “bombarded by vast levels of emissions”.

Public Health England has said it has found “no evidence of any significant risk” of exposure to 5G and BCP Council has said it will “continuously monitor” levels in the trial area.

The information it collects will be published on its website following the launch of the scheme in the summer.

A bid for funding for the separate smart places programme was submitted to Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership last year and is due to go before its board later this month.

The aim of the scheme is to “create a series of applications and services” which it says will “transform” businesses and the lives of residents.

It includes ideas such as a new volunteering app or “digital marketplaces” for independent businesses through new network connections.

Campaigners urged the council not to go ahead with the project due to its use of 5G.

But council leader Vikki Slade said the scheme was not focused around its roll-out.

“This programme is not about a specific type of technology,” she said at Wednesday’s meeting. “It’s about the funding for a wider project.

“This will enable us to do the work to create an investment plan to look at how technology might be used in the future.”

The project was unanimously backed by cabinet members and it is expected a completed plan for the project will be produced in three or four months.

The decision was criticised by most of the public at the meeting and the meeting had to be paused while they left.