PARENTS have voiced concerns over a fresh application to erect a mobile phone mast.

Vodafone wants a 14.8m mast at the junction of Eastwood Drive and Highclere Road, in High Woods, Colchester, close to Highwoods Community Primary School.

An application for a 17.5m mast at the same site was turned down unanimously by Colchester Council’s planning committee in July because of the visual impact and potential damage to trees.

Hundreds of letters of objection were submitted by people concerned about Health risks.

Nigel Hookway, headteacher at Highwoods Primary, said: “I think there is going to be quite an outcry against it again.

“Vodafone is trying to get the mast there by any means it can.

“It has looked at the rejection statement and has thought the only way is to reduce it by a few metres.”

Mr Hookway said his top concern was children’s safety when maintenance work took place to the mast.

He said: “For me, it is more about the obstruction this could cause on the footpath when servicing takes place.

“My worry is children will have to step out into the road.”

Sophie Beech, whose twins attend the school, said: “I am concerned about the potential long-term health risks, particularly for young children.

“There is evidence coming out all the time that shows there is a potential risk from radiation emitted from these masts.

“At home I can minimise the use of mobile phones, but here I don’t get a choice.

“They will walk past radiation every day.”

Gerard Oxford, borough councillor for High Woods, is going to take advice from the council amid concerns a mast under 15 metres will be approved automatically because it is a “permitted development”.

A Vodafone spokesman said: “We recognise some communities are concerned regarding the deployment of mobile phone masts close to residential areas. But without these, mobile phones will not be able to work.

“All of our base stations are designed, built and operated in accordance with stringent international guidelines.

“The guidelines have the formal backing of independent bodies, such as the World Health Organisation.

“Typical public exposures from our base stations will be many hundreds, if not thousands, of times below these guidelines.”

The company says the majority of scientific research dismisses health risks.