MPs have urged the Government to ban new homes and schools within 60m of existing high voltage overhead power transmission lines.
That call has come from a cross-party group of backbench MPs who have published a report considering the association between overhead power lines and the risk of childhood leukaemia.
The MPs' report also makes a case for a moratorium on building new homes and schools within 30m of lower voltage overhead power lines.
The report was published following the setting-up of a parliamentary commission on childhood leukaemia and electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
Dr Howard Moate, the Dartford Labour MP who chaired the group, said the Government should act on their advice and adopt the precautionary principle in this instance.
He said: "The most recent scientific research has indicated that there may be a link between childhood leukaemia and proximity to electricity pylons. It would be wrong to wait any longer before taking action."
Earlier this year a joint Government/industry working party (the Stakeholder Advisory Group on EMF) failed to decide whether a moratorium on development near power lines could be justified.