Ferring mast fury takes to the streets

Around 30 demonstrators gathered on land near Ferring Library on Wednesday morning to protest against a council's decision to allow phone company Vodafone to erect a 10m mast there.

The application went before Arun District Council's planning committee on April 13, when three votes against, including Ferring councillor David Hill, were not enough to raise an official objection to the development.

But there is still hope the development may fail. Confusion still surrounds the exact ownership of the proposed site, which is close to a school and houses.

The land could belong to West Sussex County Council, which has the right to stop the development proceeding.

Peter Evans, spokesman for Ferring Parish Council, said they would write to the county council for clarification whether it was on their land or not. "All we can do is ask and wait to find out their stance," he added.

Mr Evans praised the protesters for their commitment to the cause. "I applaud the public for standing up. All the time they keep the profile up, it stands a chance."

Vodafone has previously stated its belief the masts do not pose health risks. Spokeswoman Jane Frapwell said: "We do recognise people have concerns about these installations. We work very hard to balance meeting those concerns with providing a service for local people."

The emission guidelines were there to protect people, she said.

"The guidelines are there to protect you, whether they are one metre from the mast or 100 metres from it."