MORE than 1,000 new mobile phone masts could be installed in North Yorkshire, an MP claimed today.

Anne McIntosh warned that an average of 209 masts could be erected in every parliamentary constituency to cope with the rise in the number of phones using '3G' technology.

The Vale of York MP said recent comments from industry insiders suggested the new wave of high-tech phones will require 130,000 new masts across the UK - a four-fold increase from the present 45,000 masts.

But the Mobile Operators Association claimed the figure would be far less, with another 5,000 stations built across the UK.

Miss McIntosh, pictured, said: "Throughout the election campaign, I heard first-hand

how the threat of poorly-located masts is causing alarm for many people.

"There is a presumption in favour of development inherent in the current planning system, which overrides local, environmental and safety concerns.

"Current planning rules cannot cope with the imposition of 130,000 more

masts - with up to 200 more near homes and schools across the Vale of York."

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "Anne is not wrong when she says there will be more masts. However, the number will differ depending on the geographic location. In large rural areas there will be more, and less will be required in smaller, densely populated areas such as York. I think it would be alarmist to suggest there will be another 200 masts coming to York.

"However, people have to realise that if you want more phones there will have to be more masts. I don't think the answer is more regulation, but in encouraging mobile phone companies to create better technology so fewer masts are required."

Ryedale MP John Greenway said: "I think the fact that it's difficult to get a signal in Ryedale suggests it is necessary to have more masts. But so many?

"Locating masts has got to be handled much more sensitively and with much

more regard to local concerns than appears to be the case up to now."

Karen Barrett, communications director for Mast Sanity, a group which helps people oppose masts, said pressure should be placed on the Government to change planning guidance and make it harder for operators to install masts.

She said: "Overall it's a very chaotic situation. It's all being driven by money, because operators paid so much for the licences they're desperate to try to recoup some of that, so they're spending huge amounts of money to convince people they should have third-generation phones with all the features."

But a Mobile Operators' Association spokeswoman said the number of base stations in the UK was likely to rise from 45,000 to about 50,000 by the end of 2007.

She said the majority of new base station developments went through the formal planning process, and scientific evidence did not suggest mobile technologies operating within international health and safety guidelines caused illness.

Updated: 10:23 Thursday, May 19, 2005