A PROPOSED phone mast at Abbotsbury has been given the go ahead after councillors heard conflicting views from residents.

The proposed 20-metre high mast at East Farm was put forward as part of the govern-ment’s £150million Mobile Infras-tructure Project aimed at tackling ‘not spots’ where communities are unable to get a mobile signal.

The application, considered by West Dorset District Council’s development control committee, attracted a number of objections from residents, principally conc-erned about its visual impact.

They also claimed there were areas in Abbotsbury that already receive a signal.

Concerns were also raised about possible health impli-cations.

However, a number of resid-ents and representatives from the community also spoke at the meeting to highlight the need for improved communi-cations and insisted that the majority of villagers were in favour of the mast.

Ben Jones from the Ilchester Estate said they had been work-ing with the applicants Arqiva to find the most suitable site for the mast.

He said: “Residents and visitors alike now expect a viable comm-unications network.”

Parish council chairman Henry Ford added: “We have an oppo-rtunity to provide a much improved signal that will address the needs of the community, especially for the younger gene-ration, those in business and the thousands of visitors who come to the village and are so impo-rtant for our economy.”

Barbara Laurie was among the residents to object to the propo-sals.

She said: “It’s hard to imagine an uglier or more monstrous structure.

“This unsightly and obtrusive structure would dominate the area.”

Mary Buckle added: “We can-not allow for commercial cons-iderations to destroy this paradise.”

Fellow resident Andrew Green said: “Sometimes convenience needs to be considered against other considerations.

“Maybe a less than perfect mobile signal is the price we have to pay for living here.”

After hearing the opposing views from the community, the committee voted unanimously to support the application, despite a recommendation from officers to refuse it on the grounds of the impact on the landscape. Local councillor Thomas Bartlett said that although the site would have an impact on the landscape, it was considered to have the least impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of a number of sites considered.

He said: “It is very much needed for local businesses, tourism and the community as a whole.”