PLANS to install a large telephone mast in Harpenden have been rejected by St Albans District Council.

At a meeting of the district council planning committee on Monday, members rejected an application by Hutchinson 3G UK Ltd to put up an 18 metre mast on land at the corner of Luton Road and Thrales End Lane.

The site is in the Green Belt and a landscape conservation area. It is only 30 metres from the nearest house and members of the committee felt the mast would be a major intrusion.

Councillor John Chambers said: "The only way that this pole would not interfere with people's lives is if it totally disappeared. So many people are worried about this. They are extremely concerned about the possible effects.

"Masts are an obtrusion and should be located well away from homes and certainly a lot further than 30 metres."

The district council received letters of objection from nearby residents complaining about at the possible health effects and the unsightly nature of the pole.

However, the council's environmental health department raised no objection declaring that the radio frequency radiation levels for this scheme were well below published guidelines.

Under current legislation telephone companies do not require planning permission for poles up to 15 metres high. On the site in Thrales End Lane there is already one 15 metre phone mast owned by T-Mobile.

A representative of Hutchinson 3G said the company had investigated sharing the same mast or alternative sites in the area.

But studies ishowed neither to be suitable and so the company applied for a new communications mast.

However, officers recommended refusal of the application saying the position, height and scale of the mast would be detrimental to the open character of the Green Belt area.