LANDOWNERS must resist “pushy” tactics from telecoms companies to accept lower rents for having mobile phone masts on their land, a York property lawyer has warned.

Many private and commercial land owners across York and North Yorkshire have felt pressured to accept reductions in the fees paid for having mobile telecoms masts on their property, claims Ann Laverty, a property department partner at York-based Denison Till. And she warns: “Don’t agree without taking specialist advice.”

Telecoms companies, however, insist the renegotiation of rents is necessary for the sake of their customers.

Many landowners and farmers have benefited from several thousand pounds a year for each mast on their land as demand for mobile phones boomed and mobile phone companies competed for best mast sites.

But the economic climate and saturation in the mobile-phone market meant companies’ margins were under pressure and measures, including pooling networks and eliminating excess, were being used to cut costs, she said.

T-Mobile and 3 aim to save £2 billion during the next decade by pooling their 3G mobile networks. Vodafone and O2 also hope to save by sharing their masts.

Ms Laverty, who is handling cases for rural and urban landowners across York and North Yorkshire, said: “Some mast sites are being decommissioned and telecoms companies are using this to pressure land owners to accept substantially lower rents, often of around 25 per cent, on sites where masts are needed.

“Those negotiating for the telecoms companies may not readily explain to the landowner that site-sharing enables them to increase their revenue. If a land owner is going to agree to a site being shared by different companies on their land, they should get a commensurate return.

“In some areas, such as rural locations, mast sites are important in maintaining an efficient network and landowners should think twice before accepting a big rent reduction. If there is a lack of suitable alternative sites, they may be in a far stronger position.”

A spokesman for Cornerstone Mobile, the joint venture company leading the network sharing partnership between O2 and Vodafone, said the plan was to reduce the operating costs of the networks.

“The ever-demanding needs of customers are key drivers to increasing the number of sites we share and, at the same time, renegotiating competitive rental agreements with land owners.”