A tiny village in Sussex is to get an eleventh mobile phone mast, despite having a population of just 261.

Residents in Pyecombe, which is in the South Downs, are concerned about the effects on their health by all the transmitters.

At a recent planning meeting, Mid Sussex District Council officers recommended that the pole with three antennas should be sited next to a roundabout that links the A281 and the slip road to the A23.

Although planners say the mast would be set against a background of street lamps, equipment cabins and a hedge, parish councillors said the area is supposed to be an area of outstanding natural beauty and the mast will spoil the landscape.

We should be erring on the side of caution

David Wilson, parish council chairman

Pyecombe Parish Council chairman David Wilson joked: "We'll have the best phone reception in Sussex."

He added: "I know we're living in the 21st Century but this is less than 10 metres away from another mast and it's not just the pole, it's all the equipment alongside."

Mr Wilson had sympathy for planners who he claimed are under government pressure to allow masts, but also feels the health issues have not yet been satisfactorily resolved.

"We should be erring on the side of caution," he said.

Radiation concerns

Objectors to phone masts say not enough is known about the effects of the radiation from the masts, especially on the health of children.

This is despite a study of electromagnetic emissions from mobile phone masts near 100 schools in the UK showing they are all well below international maximum recommended exposure guidelines.

A spokesperson for the district council said it was a case of either having lots of small masts, or a few tall ones.

"Pyecombe Village is located in the South Downs and mobile phone users want a signal in the area," she said.

Easily camouflaged

"We elected to use more of the shorter masts, which are about 10 metres tall, because they can easily be camouflaged and will not have as great an impact on the area, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

"We would rather that, than have a few of the taller varieties, which are over 15 metres tall, which will have a greater impact on the landscape."

She also said the council had stuck to government issued guidelines on the health issues surrounding the phone masts, when giving permission for the transmitters.