CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a 30ft mobile phone mast just inches from a busy Totton road have been branded a threat to road safety.

BT Cellnet has drawn up proposals to site the mast on a grass verge beside Ringwood Road, just east of the Crabbs Way roundabout.

The scheme was condemned by councillors and residents at a meeting of Totton Town Council's planning and transport advisory committee.

Chairman George Dart said: "The siting of a mobile phone mast so close to the carriageway would create a highway hazard. The mast would also be inappropriate to the rural nature of the site, which forms part of the western approach to the town."

Totton county councillor Edith Randall said children walking home from school might try to climb the mast, despite its close proximity to passing traffic.

She added: "I would be very surprised if the county council allowed a mobile phone mast to be built so close to a road."

Committee members were addressed by Stephen Turner, of Swallow Close, Totton, who said residents regarded the plan as a potential threat to their health.

He said: "I'm sure there are reports which say mobile phone masts are safe, but I've read reports that claim there are significant dangers.

"The Ringwood Road mast will be no more than 50 metres from our garden.

"I accept there may be a need for these masts, but there are open spaces where they could be sited well away from houses."

A BT Cellnet spokesman said mobile phone masts were installed only in areas where they were badly needed.

He added: "This particular mast will be a monopole, which will look very much like a streetlight.

"Emissions from mobile phone masts are very low and we are quite confident that there is no risk to health."

MUSIC

Class on at the Greene

THE NEWEST live music venue, Greene Cellars in West Marlands Road, has a couple of classy bands on offer this week.

Funky four-piece Big Boss Man take the stage on Thursday with a hip hybrid of Sixties-style pop and soul, with stylish R&B band Hershey & The 12 Bars, well-known to Talking Heads regulars, doing their thing on Saturday night.

Doors open at 8pm, with an admission price of £3 before 10pm and £4 thereafter.

Fans calmed our fright on the night

Echo reporter newsdesk@soton-echo.co.uk

BAND: The Tenterhooks.

PLAUDITS from Hear'Say and BBC producers haven't gone to the heads of the Southampton band The Tenterhooks, after a support set at the live Children In Need concert in Southsea.

It was the response from their own hard core base of fans which really warmed the hearts of Russell Marsden (vocals and guitar), Emma Richardson (vocals and bass), Matt Hayward (drums) and Katie Taylor (keyboards) on that chilly night in Castle Field.

"It was the scariest and the best thing in the world," says Russell.

"There were 15,000 happy people cheering us on - and standing on the Radio 1 Roadshow rig with lights everywhere and the TV cameras swooping across the stage and out into the crowd was amazing.

"You could only see the first 5,000 but you could feel the other 10,000! And above all the noise we could just about hear this bunch of our own people who'd got there really early to be at the front - screaming our names!

"It made us feel a lot more at home and confident. It took the edge off the absolute fear. Before we went on, it was a case of children in terror."

The four-piece, formerly known as Fleeing New York, formed part of the warm-up for top chart bands Hear'say and Steps at the gig earlier this month and were featured live on BBC TV South on the night and the following Sunday in the highlights programme on BBC1.

Unlike most of the bands playing that night, The Tenterhooks had to get up at 6.30am on the day, to make a guest appearance on BBC Radio Solent with Julian Clegg.

"We played 'unplugged' and did our own warped version of the S Club 7 hit Have You Ever," says Emma.

"It was a great start to the day - and the day finished even better, particularly as we got such good feedback, including praise from BBC producers and Hear'Say."

Now back in the studio recording tracks for their first album, the band will be playing to a more intimate crowd at Talking Heads tomorrow night, with support from Vertigo. Tickets cost £3 on the door. For more information on The Tenterhooks, visit www.thetenterhooks.com