MOBILE phone company Orange plc has been given approval to build an 11.5m mast near the Jet service station on the outskirts of Barnard Castle, despite opposition from local councillors.
The decision was made by a planning inspector after members of Teesdale District Council rejected the application, claiming it would leave an ugly eyesore at an important entrance to the town. The mast will stand just yards from the A67 route into the town, which councillors argue will deter tourists.
Councillor Ken Coates, who has fought the application since it was submitted last year, said the mast would be better suited to a nearby industrial estate.
He said: "Why Orange couldn't have chosen a more suitable site is beyond me, there are several industrial estates near to the site, and these would have shielded the mast."
But a spokesman for the company said the decision was a sensible one.
He said: "We are always very careful in where we site our masts. We take great care when looking at possible sites, and we feel that this is a reasonable site to put up a mast."
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