ANGRY residents claim they were not properly consulted about a mobile phone mast put up yards from their homes.

People living in and around Fifth Avenue in Tang Hall, York, were dismayed when a mobile phone mast went up on the corner of Melrosegate and Fifth Avenue on Thursday - not far from Tang Hall Primary School and its 211 pupils.

Mum Amanda Hodgson, 40, of Fifth Avenue, said T-Mobile has erected the 15-metre high phone mast directly outside her house and the council gave the plan the go-ahead, despite her objections.

"I just feel we were given no warning and the phone companies are allowed to ride roughshod over local opinion," said Mrs Hodgson.

"The health risks of these things are far from being proven and to be honest, I'm angry and worried about this thing being less than 100 yards from my house. Not just that, but Tang Hall school is just over the road, as well as the community centre."

In October, the Evening Press reported how a high-profile T-Mobile application for a mobile phone mast close to where this one has been sighted sparked fury from residents.

On that occasion a mast planned for the junction of Tang Hall Lane and Melrosegate was thrown out by councillors, despite an officers' recommendation it should go ahead - a victory for hundreds of residents who signed petitions and wrote protest letters.

Mrs Hodgson, who works for Norwich Union, and has lived in her house for 19 years, is married to Phil, 45, and has a 15-year-old son, Kiel.

She said she emailed the council objecting to the mast when it was proposed last year and then received a letter saying the council had passed the application.

"As a mum you just can't help but worry really, and my main concern now is that now the thing has gone up, how are we going to get it down?

"I can't help but feel this is T-Mobile sneaking in a mast by the back door," she said.

A City of York Council spokesperson said: "The application for the mast at the junction of Fifth Avenue and Melrosegate was approved on December 21 last year.

"An extensive consultation exercise was carried out as part of the decision-making process, which included 200 letters being sent to neighbouring properties in November, 2004.

"Two responses were received, both of which were letters of objection. The council always confirms receipt of such letters and provides a further response to those who contribute to the consultation process once an application has been decided."

A T-Mobile spokesperson said: "We needed to provide a quality service in the area and so looked at an alternative site.

"We consulted the local planning authority and three local councillors.

"We received no feedback and permission was granted in December last year so we are now beginning the build."

Angry residents vow to fight on

MORE THAN 130 villagers turned out to protest at a meeting on Monday night over a mobile phone mast near their homes in Sheriff Hutton, near York.

Residents showed up to express their anger at phone company Orange for erecting a 15-metre high mast close to their homes in Dasket Hill without warning.

Planners at Ryedale District Council failed to respond to the company's application on time, and residents claim the mast sprang up without

warning overnight on October 30.

Housewife and mum, Linda Murphy, 35, lives about 85 metres away from the mast on Cornborough Road with her husband, Andrew, 40, and daughters, Elinor, eight, and six-year-old Isobel.

She said: "People are very angry about this, and we are determined to fight it. The council were very apologetic at the meeting, but it still doesn't change things.

"We understand Orange didn't put up notices advertising the mast was going up and we hope we can pursue that as a means of getting it taken down."

A spokesman for Orange said: "We were invited to the meeting, but did not attend because past experience elsewhere has shown these meetings usually turn in to a slanging match.

"Residents are correct in thinking signs were not put up, but we are not under a statutory obligation to do so."

Updated: 09:41 Wednesday, November 23, 2005