COUNCILLORS have refused a mobile phone company permission to erect a 60ft mast alongside the old A1 at Boroughbridge because of the impact it would have on the Vale of York.

T-Mobile (UK) wanted to erect the tower at the former Byways filling station, along with six antennae, two transmission dishes and an equipment cabin.

However, Harrogate Borough Council planners said it would be a blot on the landscape and, as there was an absence of a comprehensive network for the operator covering surrounding villages and highways, there was no overriding need for a mast.