A CITY OF YORK councillor has slammed telecoms giant T-Mobile for continued delays in moving a phone mast put in the wrong place.

A council mistake, where a planning officer failed to send vital paperwork off within the 56-day deadline for mast applications, meant T-Mobile could build the mast at allotments opposite a row of houses in Shipton Road, Rawcliffe, without permission.

Coun Mark Waudby attended a meeting between the council's director of environment and development services and T-Mobile representatives in January, when the company agreed to survey Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride site with a view to moving the 12 metre (39 foot) mast into the car park.

He claimed that three months on, no survey had been conducted and T-Mobile's promise to paint the mast green had not been fulfilled.

Coun Waudby said: "I am appalled that we are having to put up with yet more obstruction and arrogance from T-Mobile on this issue. The views of residents are clear. The mast is a wholly inappropriate structure that should never have been built in the first place and it is a blot on the area's landscape. T-Mobile claimed to be taking residents' view into account when they agreed to survey the Park and Ride as an alternative site. Given the amount of time they are taking, you have to ask how high up on T-Mobile's list of priorities the wishes of residents actually are."

Residents living in the Shipton Road area of Rawcliffe had campaigned fiercely against the mast and collected more than 200 names on a petition.

A spokeswoman for T-Mobile said: "We do understand that locating base stations in communities can sometimes cause concern and we are keen to address those concerns in an open and honest manner. As agreed at the meeting in January, T-Mobile has painted the equipment cabin green and we will ensure the mast will be painted as soon as possible.

"As promised, an alternative location has been surveyed and the results are being analysed. We expect to provide the council with a full response by the end of this month."

Updated: 08:28 Tuesday, March 25, 2003