Village victory in mast fight

Mobile phone company Vodafone had been granted permission by Arun Council to build a 10m mast on land in front of the Ferring Centre in Greystoke Road.

The mast would have been capable of emitting microwaves over a 250m radius, an area including the Ferring CE Primary School and a housing estate.

But a county council investigation, prompted by the strength of local opposition to the plan, revealed the land was county-owned.

And a county council policy prohibiting mobile phone masts on their land meant the plan was dead.

Ferring Parish Council spokesman Peter Evans praised the community protest that earned the victory.

He said: "It's a win, a good one for the village.

"It's great to see the village pulled together. They stood up for their rights and were listened to."

George Terry, 70, spokesman for Ferring Residents Against Mast Erection, (Frame), said: "I'm chuffed to bits. We want to thank all the people who supported us. It's been a long, hard struggle."

Fellow Frame activist Serena Law thanked County Hall for stepping in but she criticised the district planners who recommended the mast be approved, apparently without researching the land-ownership issue.

She said: "We really appreciate the county council coming up with this but we don't appreciate the time wasted by Arun District Council's planning officers. They didn't know that the county council owned the land and would withhold permission for it to go ahead.

"All of the councillors who supported us were over-ruled by the others because the impression was that it could not be stopped."

Mrs Law then sounded a warning to the mobile giants to stay away from Ferring.

"For any other sites Vodafone want they will face a real rebellion. We will never let it go - we're the bulldogs of Ferring."

Responding to the news their application had failed, Vodafone could not say what their next move would be.

Spokesperson Jane Frapwell said: "We don't have a way forward at the moment but we are discussing it with the (county) council."

Arun Council declined to comment on the criticism directed at its planning officers.