But on Thursday, phone giant Vodafone imposed one of its own - a 15-metre phone aerial in the middle of the town centre.

"It looks dreadful," said Royce Court resident John Hendry.

"It is now one of the first things you see when you come down the road into Knutsford.

"It will kill our chances in the Britain in Bloom contest."

Vodafone had erected their metal, mobile phone mast in the car park of the Conservative Club on Thursday.

Bert Grange, a town, borough and county councillor who was at the club, phoned Macclesfield Borough Council's planning department to complain.

"I am absolutely furious because they just ignored us completely," he said.

"But if Macclesfield had dug their heels in and sent a law enforcement officer down, the workmen would have had to turn round."

On Monday, a spokesman for Vodafone said they were leasing the site from Monckton Properties for an undisclosed fee.

The company said they were allowed to leave the post up for six months because it was an emergency.

But this week planning officer David Malcolm said Macclesfield had been told the new mast was needed to replace one that was taken down in Hollow Lane.

"That was six months ago so given the time scale it's difficult to argue that it is an emergency," he said.

Vodafone now plans to seek permission to site a smaller aerial on the roof of the Conservative Club which would replace the mast.

Bill Gore, of Legh Road, said the sooner the better for local Tories.

"For that to be in the car park of the Tory club is electoral suicide," he said.

But Graham Pike, a director of Monckton Properties, said the matter had been discussed.

"We were approached by the mobile phone company and after discussions with the Conservative Club. an agreement was reached by all parties," he said.