THE only parish in the borough not to have a mobile phone mast may soon lose its unique status.

Representatives from the telecoms giant Vodafone have met with East Woodhay Parish Council and residents to discuss a planning application for a 98ft phone mast in Roundabout Wood, North End, East Woodhay.

The representatives also carried out a site visit with locals and agreed a new better-screened site, which is about 10 metres away from the original one.

Currently, Vodafone's planning application is due to go to appeal, and will be decided by the Planning Inspectorate because Basingstoke council did not grant or refuse the application in the allotted time per-iod.

However, Jane Frapwell, an electromagnetic field advisor for Vodafone, said that the company would submit a new application, identical to the original, but with drawings showing the new location of the proposed mast, which was agreed with residents.

She added that if the second application was approved, Vodafone would withdraw the original one from appeal.

Su Elsden, the chairwoman of East Woodhay Parish Council's planning committee, said: "If Vodafone do put in a second application with the new site, the parish council will probably support it, and I think the ward councillors will as well.

"We are happy to go ahead with it, providing a tree officer's report says it won't damage the trees."

As part of the appeal process, Basingstoke council discussed the original application again on Wednesday, and agreed it would have refused planning permission.

The council's decision is no longer binding, but will be considered along with other documentation by the Planning Inspectorate.