PLANS for a mobile phone mast in a village near York today provoked an angry response from a neighbour, who claims it will ruin his business.

Geoff Nurse says trade will plummet if the 15-metre mast is planted on the doorstep of the Osbaldwick holiday cottage he has rented to tourists for seven successful years.

Mr Nurse has objected to the proposed pole, which could be sited in the yard of a neighbouring construction company - William Birch and Sons, Murton Way, Osbaldwick,

City council planners have to notify the applicant, T-Mobile, by Wednesday about whether they are going to raise objections to the scheme. They told the Evening Press that the report had not yet been written, so they could not confirm their recommendation.

However, if permission is granted, Mr Nurse fears the worst. He says trade at Brook Nook - his family's main income - would be "irreparably damaged".

The former Haxby garage owner, 63, said: "It couldn't have been put any closer to our cottage.

"The gardens are beautiful. Now it looks like anyone sitting out in the summer will be staring at a 50ft phone mast."

"Families will not go near properties near these poles and our main clientele is families."

Mr Nurse lives in a property next to the holiday cottage and was planning to start a caravan site on his land next year.

He believes mast sharing should be considered and also raised concerns about a phone pole on the edge of green belt land.

Chris Birch, managing director of William Birch and Sons, said the company was assessing its options before deciding whether to site the mast in a corner of the business.

But he said T-Mobile had approached the firm after identifying a gap in its network coverage.

If the mast was not in Birch's yard it would have to go somewhere in the area. "It won't just vanish," said Mr Birch.

He said he could see why Mr Nurse had concerns about the location, but said the mast would impact on the business if planted in the middle of the yard.

City of York Council said that because the mast was 15 metres tall the applicants did not need planning permission.

Officers had eight weeks before deciding whether to object over location or design.

The council cannot raise alleged health concerns or potential loss of value to property as issues in the consultation period.

T-Mobile said: "We have had discussions with the owner of the nearby property and we are also considering other options to ensure we minimise visual impact on the environment.

"We work hard to try to reduce the visual impact of our base stations."

Updated: 09:51 Monday, December 20, 2004