MOBILE phone giant One2One is at a stand-off with council planning chiefs after an application to put up a telecommunications mast in Culcheth was refused.

The company wants to put the mast on land at Tanners Farm, off Twiss Green Lane, close to an existing Vodafone mast, but its application was turned down on a technicality relating to the siting and design of the pole.

One2One is now claiming the decision was not made within the 42 day time frame allowed, but the council disagrees and says it worked within the rules.

And a spokesman for the planning department added: "If the mast was to be erected we would take enforcement action to have it removed."

Farmer Roger Trickett, who owns the land, will not allow the company access until the matter is resolved.

"If it is as One2One say, then they have got the permission by default and I don't want to be involved," he said.

"I was already unhappy with where they wanted to site it because I thought it would stick out like a sore thumb, but they didn't want to move it because they would have to re-apply for planning permission."

Mr Trickett has hit back at critics who say the original Vodafone mast should not have been sited on the land for fear of risks to health.

"Do they think I would risk my health and that of my grandchild for the sake of the few thousand pounds they give me?" he added.

A One2One spokesman said: "We are currently reassessing the situation with regard to this mast and looking at our options.

"The council did not get the notice of their refusal to us until the 46th or 47th day, but we are not bulldozing ahead. We are taking stock and looking at alternative sites or re-alignment of the proposed site to move the mast to within the farm buildings."

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