People power

Shoreham Community Residents Against Masts (SCRAM) was set up by leading protester Rod Hotton, whose home in Downsway would have directly faced the mast.

Mr Hotton, now chairman of SCRAM, held a protest meeting in his garden, got residents to sign protest letters and lobbied the council in a bid to get its support.

Although T-Mobile did not technically need planning permission for its proposed, 11-metre mast on the junction of Downsway and Upper Shoreham Road, because it was under 15 metres high, Adur councillors unanimously voted to refuse it after stating it was detrimental to the area and would endanger traffic on a busy road junction.

Member Janet Mockridge said: "This is a totally inappropriate site for a phone mast. It will spoil a green, leafy environment and would stand in isolation in the area."

Mr Hotton, speaking from a packed public gallery, spoke on behalf of the objectors, after Adur council revealed it had received 328 letters of objection from residents against the mast.

Mr Hotton urged the council to use its best endeavours to get the law and planning guidelines changed, as he claimed the current rules and regulations were biased in favour of the telecommunications companies.

After the meeting, Mr Hotton said: "Although the first battle has been won, SCRAM are expecting an appeal by T-Mobile, despite suggesting several feasible alternative sites.

"SCRAM are already preparing their case for the next stage and are also prepared to take the fight all the way to the European courts, if necessary."