RESIDENTS of Amesbury are fighting plans to erect a mobile phone mast in the town centre.

The mast is planned for the area between Church and Flower Lane and is 15m high, with three antennae, three dishes and two small equipment cabins.

Opponents were furious to hear that it did not need planning permission and queued up to voice their concern to members of Salisbury District Council's northern area committee.

Amesbury resident Lynn Woods said: "The siting of the mast is inappropriate as it is surrounded by residential properties.

"It is only a few metres from the conservation area boundary and has listed buildings within 150m.

"It will be obvious, unsightly and obtrusive, and in some cases right outside living-room windows."

Mrs Woods added that health risks from mobile phone masts were something that still had not been disproved.

Residents' concerns were strengthened when Wylye district councillor Ian West recounted difficulties villagers in Deptford had experienced since a mast was erected close to residential properties.

He said televisions had gone wrong, electric garage doors were going up and down and car alarms had been going off.

Development control manager Steve Thorne explained that the Amesbury mast application was in an area of permitted development.

He said that although planning permission had been given, the operators would also have to apply for prior approval.

Amesbury town and district councillor Dennis Brown said he was heartened to know that the door had not been "slammed shut on residents" and asked that any prior approval application be considered by councillors.