A DECISION to throw out plans for a mobile telephone mast in Stourport has been hailed as a "triumph of local opposition over big business".

The plan for the mast by T-Mobile, which had provoked a storm of protest from local residents, was turned down in spite of an officers' recommendation it should be given the go-ahead.

Spokesman for the protesters, Philip McCarthy, said: "This was a good result for democracy. We made every effort to stop this and we got our just rewards."

He acknowledged the support the group of protesters, 50 of whom had turned up to the meeting, had had from councillors who almost unanimously voted to throw out the plans for the mast at the Workmen's Club in Lickhill Road.

"They were not going to be bullied by the officers," he said.

Opposition to the six-metre mast had centred on health concerns, particularly the closeness of the mast to two schools.

Among opponents' health fears related to the masts were concerns about cancers, reduced sperm count, genetic damage, brain tumours and epilepsy in children.

Councillor John Holden, also a Stourport town councillor, told the meeting that since 2000, a 500-metre rule, inside which no mast could be sited near sensitive areas such as schools, had been applied in America, New Zealand, Australia and parts of Europe.

He added: "The rule which has been applied with the Stourport mast is just 100 metres and we have two schools and elderly residents within 250 metres."

Planning officer, Clare Eynon, however, who had prepared a lengthy report on current thinking of the health impacts, told the meeting guidelines from central government stated that if a mobile telephone mast met guidelines from the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection -ICNIRP - it "should not be necessary for a local planning authority to consider further the health aspects and concerns about them".

She said as the company had stated it conformed to ICNIRP guidelines, health concerns could not be given as a reason for refusal and therefore she was recommending approval. It was also not possible to oppose the scheme on visual grounds she added.