RESIDENTS in Box will have to endure a 40ft mast being built next to Box tunnel after the controversial application was approved by councillors of the Northern Area Planning Committee during a close vote.

The plans for the phone mast and four cabinets proposed by mobile phone giant EE for the layby on London Road were approved by councillors on Tuesday (May 23) despite strong local objections.

After the vote went to a tie between ten councillors, the acting chairman Councillor Peter Hutton decided to vote in favour of the mast and put an end to the application, which was originally called in five years ago.

"The result is disappointing," Coun Sheila Parker, vice chairman of Box Parish Council, who called the plans in originally, admitted. "It is even more disappointing that there was no representative from EE or National Rail there once again to explain why the cable couldn't go through the tunnel.

"It is very upsetting for the many residents who started a petition which got over 500 signatures and it is a shame because many of them feel that their concerns have not been taken into account. However, the committee had to look at the plans before them as they were and it was close. Five councillors voted for, five councillors voted against and the chairman ruled in favour."

Despite the shock ruling, the councillor said the Parish Council are trying to look on the bright side and work together with residents and the mobile phone giant to ease any remaining concerns and use the experience as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

She said: "It was a good learning curve for the Parish Council as next time we will be able to come up with better planning arguments that will help us. It would be nice if we could have a dialogue with EE now that the plans have been approved but I think think we will because if they wanted to talk to us in the first place they would have already got in touch.

"All we can do now is keep our fingers crossed that they don't actually build it. We are in a bit of a catch 22 situation because if there is an emergency in the tunnel we don't want to have a situation where the right services can't get through but at the same time we never wanted it to be built in the first place."