Plans to install controversial phone masts in a residential area have been rejected by Castle Point Council.

Members of the town planning committee refused the application by mobile giant One 2 One to build two ten metre high masts on Canvey at a meeting.

The company said the single poles in Linden Way and East Crescent would be alternatives to three masts sited next door to a primary school.

Essex County Council has placed a ban on masts being installed on schools until the National Radiological Protection Board releases a report into their safety.

But the council's deputy director of planning Bill Nicholls said the proposal was unacceptable as it would be obtrusive and spoil the visual amenities of the area. He added the masts on the Castle Point Transport Museum, next to Leigh Beck Infants and Junior School in Point Road, would not be turned on until councillors received more information on potential health risks.

Councillor Lionel Hart (Lab, Canvey East) accused One2One of trying to persuade members to approve the application through blackmail.

He said: "I have it from the company that these new masts would be an alternative to the masts on the bus museum. It is a little bit like blackmail."

Community relations officer for One 2 One Barry Turner-Smith said: "We will be discussing the grounds for refusal with our agents and deciding whether to appeal or not."

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