PLANS to erect a mobile phone mast in Bushey have been rejected to the joy of residents.

T-Mobile (UK) Ltd applied for prior approval from Hertsmere Borough Council to put the 12-metre high mast in Little Bushey Lane, Bushey, next to Green Belt land and opposite a residential area.

As the proposal was not a full planning application, the Bushey/Aldenham sub planning committee could only consider the site and appearance of the mast, not the health implications, at their meeting on Thursday, September 30.

The borough council received 18 letters of objection and a petition signed by 50 people stating the mast would look unsightly and was too close to their homes.

A spokesperson for T-Mobile said: "We are disappointed with the council's decision but we now have three months to decide whether to appeal or to find another site."

For a full report see Friday's printed edition of the Watford Observer.