PLANS to build a mobile phone mast on Wharton Road are being strongly opposed by residents who believe it should be sited at Winsford United Football Club.

Following a report in last week's Guardian, community leaders have met with Winsford United Football Club chairman Mark Loveless and will now urge the council to refuse the Wharton Road planning application.

Winsford United submitted a planning application to erect a Vodafone mast at Barton Stadium last year but it was turned down.

The refusal saw the football club miss out on £50,000 which would have been used to build facilities for use by the whole community and less than a year later a new application has been submitted to build a mast just yards away from the stadium.

Tony Deyn, chairman of Wharton Parish Residents' Association, said: "A lot of people don't want this mast near them at all because of health fears but if it has to go somewhere then it should go in the football ground.

"We would much rather the football club have got this money than the council because it could have been used to build these facilities.

"If Mr Loveless can show us a plan of where the money will go we would give him our full support in getting this mast positioned in the stadium rather than Wharton Road.

"We don't want the mast on Wharton Road anyway. Our association was set up to enhance the image of the area and this is certainly not going to do that."

Mr Loveless has welcomed the support of both the Wharton and Greville residents' associations and believes it is time the council started to listen to the public.

He said: "It was a positive meeting and we really appreciate the support. Both the town council and borough council should be looking at the best interests of the community but I think at the moment they are only looking after themselves."