UNHAPPY residents have begun a petition to protest against renewed plans to put up a mobile phone mast near their homes.

Telecommunications giant T-Mobile has applied to build a ten-metre mast with three antennae and ground equipment at the junction of Tang Hall Lane and Melrosegate, in York.

The company said the mast, which is a scaled-down version of a bid that was withdrawn in April, was needed to service the next generation of picture and video messaging handsets.

But furious residents have joined forces to block the plan, which they said was unnecessary, ugly and could pose a danger to their health.

Mother-of-two Karen Hallam, 38, of Tang Hall Lane, said a petition against the first application attracted 600 signatures and campaigners hoped to collect a similar number this time.

She said the mast would be metres from her daughter's bedroom window and would dominate the view from her home. "There are at least five masts within half-a-mile of this site. We have good mobile coverage and want to know if this is really necessary," she said.

Solicitor Lydia Paish, of East Parade, who has two small children, said she had concerns about how the mast would affect their health.

She said: "It's unclear what effect it might have on them. The planning laws are totally in favour of the mobile phone companies.

"There should be a totally different planning regime, particularly if the mast is going to be near schools, as it is in this case.

"We are very concerned, primarily about the health issues, but we know that the only consideration the council will make is the physical appearance of the mast."

Heworth councillor Viv Kind said she opposed the proposal, which may be considered by a planning committee as soon as next month, because it was too big and too close to homes.

She said: "When T-Mobile's original application was put in I objected and I shall object to this as well because it is not appropriate for outside someone's home."

A T-Mobile spokeswoman said: "All communities have the potential to benefit from first class mobile communications whether they are used for business, social or emergency purposes.

"Without a network of base stations, however, mobile phones simply do not work. T-Mobile understands there sometimes can be concerns when locating base stations in communities.

"T-Mobile recognises that one of the biggest challenges facing operators in developing a modern telecommunications infrastructure is minimising the impact it has on the environment, whether rural, urban or suburban. When a new mast is needed, we try to reduce the impact on the local environment with sensitive siting, innovative design and landscaping."

Updated: 11:11 Friday, August 05, 2005