IT IS back to the drawing board for a telecoms company after its unpopular plans to build a 55-foot telephone mast in the Avebury World Heritage Site were turned down by Wiltshire Council.

Telefonica UK Ltd had their application to install an O2 and Vodafone mobile mast behind the Bell pub, along the A4 in West Overton, rejected as it would have 'represented a highly visible, vertical intrusion in the heritage site's surroundings' and was 'harmful to the landscape quality' of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The decision has been welcomed by Fyfield and West Overton Parish Council, who said that the mast would only provide good coverage for West Overton but little to no coverage for East Kennet and Lockeridge.

Councillors said that they were not against the idea of a telecommunications mast but felt proper consideration needed to be given to location and coverage.

Parish Council chairman Ruth Lamdin said: "We were very glad that this is not going to be in the World Heritage Site as it really was not suitable and Wiltshire Council thankfully shared our views.

"From our perspective, it was not going to provide good enough coverage, something these areas need. Hopefully they will go away and have a rethink and come back with a better proposal in a better spot.

"We do not want masts to be popping up all over the place, there needs to be one good one. If they do apply again I hope there will be a good dialogue. There was some communication before but it was not as much as we would have liked."

The mast, two microwave dishes and an equipment cabinet, would have been hidden in the trees behind the car park, on land which is owned by Manor Farm.

Wiltshire Councillor for West Selkley, Jane Davies, added: "The proposed siting of the mast within the Avebury World Heritage Site creates conflict of interests. In addition, the selection of a relatively low lying site appears not to offer the best opportunity to provide adequate coverage."