A BATTLE is under way to prevent the New Forest from becoming littered with mobile telephone masts.

The Forestry Commission's senior New Forest officer, deputy surveyor Donald Thompson, confirmed that talks have taken place with telecommunications company bosses keen to give their users better reception.

But in those initial talks, mobile phone giant Vodafone asked for commission approval for five new masts which would fill in the airwave gaps along the busy A31 and A35 roads.

Mr Thompson said: "The problem is that if we say 'yes' to five for Vodafone, we would have to say 'yes' to 25 because all the other mobile phone firms would want masts. At present, there are four firms, but shortly it will be five."

In addition to Vodafone, there would be an interest from Orange, One-to-One and BT Cellnet, while Virgin also looks set to emerge as a further company in need of Forest facilities.

Mr Thompson also warned that one mast can only take a certain number of calls and as phone use increases firms may seek extra masts: "Twenty five could go up to 50 and so on and we have a duty to look after the amenity of the Forest and we will be explaining our stand to the authorities in membership of the New Forest Committee."

But Vodafone spokesman David Danielli said it would continue its efforts to improve reception and meet the standards sought by the Department of Trade and Industry and by its customers.

He said: "We do know there are people who live and work in the New Forest who have expressed the need for communications, not least from an emergency services point of view.

"We are very aware of the importance of the New Forest as an area of outstanding natural beauty, but we are fairly experienced in meeting very strict requirements in terms of avoiding visual intrusion."

In addition to three major masts - at Verely (Burley), Roundhill (Brockenhurst) and Fritham - there are numerous small and unobtrusive transmitters on buildings, a flagpole and a church spire.

There have been numerous battles over mobile phone masts on private land in the Forest in the past. But there have been instances when New Forest District Council refused planning consent only to be overruled by government inspectors.

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