PARISH leaders in Cliddesden fear the area is in danger of becoming the phone mast capital of Hampshire.

The view was expressed by Cliddesden Parish Council as members tried in vain to convince borough councillors to block two fresh mobile mast applications.

The parish councillors made their views known as the borough's development control committee considered Orange Personal Communications' plan for a 100-foot metal lattice tower with 16 antennas, four microwave dishes and an equipment cabin at Pensdell Farm in Farleigh Road, Cliddesden, and a separate proposal to replace an existing mast with a larger one.

Opposing the applications, the parish council told the committee: "We are concerned at the possible erection of so many masts in this area and wish to ensure that Cliddesen does not become the mast capital of Hampshire.

"There is a proliferation of similar applications within the parish and planning consent request for new masts are being received at an alarming rate.

"Members of the parish council and the public feel it is time that applications for communication equipment to be sited within the parish should be discouraged.

"It is felt that not only the health of the residents is put at risk but also the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

"Cliddesden is visited regularly by people who enjoy their leisure time in this relatively unspoilt rural setting and must surely be protected and valued as an amenity for Basingstoke.

"The parish has done its share of providing sites for the communications industry."

But recommending approval for the Orange scheme, planning officers told the committee: "The mast has been sited so as to be as unobtrusive as possible and would not be readily seen from any nearby vantage points because of existing mature vegetation, not only immediately adjacent to the proposed site but also around the agricultural field itself and adjacent to the road leading through the village.

"On balance, it is considered that the proposal would not be detrimental to the visual amenities of the area as the mast will be satisfactorily integrated into its surrounds to minimise its visual impact."

As well as giving the go-ahead to the Orange application, councillors granted planning permission for a 50-foot mast on land adjacent to the M3 at Railways, Farleigh Road to be replaced with a 70 foot mast.

The applicants BT Cellnet told the committee it was necessary to increase the height of the mast in order to share it with Vodafone and One2One.