Tories will let residents block mobile masts

The row over mobile phone masts reignited today when the Tories rushed out plans to let local people block applications.

Tough new planning laws would give communities a final say on masts that could "blight" their area.

The move follows mounting worries that the explosion in the number of phone masts is a danger to health and to children's development.

Shadow planning minister Caroline Spelman pledged the new policy - named You Decide Where They Go - would include abolishing current laws that allow new masts to be erected without a vote by local councillors.

In a move designed to turn the issue into a major general election row, Tory strategists have also ordered candidates in all 656 seats to begin local campaigns against unpopular mast applications.

Saying the crackdown was aimed at "cheap and poorly designed" masts, Ms Spelman said people had no faith in the planning system because it was biased in favour of applications.

"The erection of poorlylocated masts is causing considerable disquiet in many parts of the country," she said. "There is a presumption in favour of development inherent in the current planning system, which overrides local, environmental and safety concerns."

Scientists are divided over whether mobile transmissions pose any danger to health, but campaigners refuse to believe they are safe.

At present there are more than 40,000 masts in Britain but campaigners fear another 100,000 will be erected to carry new, third generation mobile phone traffic.

The Conservative pledge, described as the biggest shake-up for 20 years, would mean:

Tory policy advisers say huge numbers of Britons feel bitter about "monster masts", and are frustrated by planners ignoring their concerns because of a lack of conclusive evidence of any danger.

There has been controversy over recent applications for masts to be erected near schools and children's playgrounds. Photographer Koo Stark recently won a battle against a T-Mobile proposal to erect a mast in South Kensington, an area where about 4,000 children attend school.

A report by an all-party group of MPs last month accused mobile companies of riding roughshod over local people and called for a shakeup in the law.

Labour based its successful campaign in the Hodge Hill by-election on opposing mobile masts - although the Government has yet to bring forward plans to change the rules for applications.

Mobile phone companies deny any health risk but admit the issue is the cause of an image problem.