RESIDENTS are up in arms following the sudden appearance of a 70 ft phone mast, which has been put up on the greenbelt on the outskirts of Durham City.

The mast, which is 22.5m high, appeared on land at the bottom of Neville’s Cross Bank on Monday.

It is understood it has been put up by WHP Telecoms, on behalf of Everything Everywhere, and is a temporary replacement to one at the top of the bank, which has been there for around 20 years.

It is understood to have been installed under emergency planning rules.

Amanda Hampshire, whose garden ends a few metres away from the mast, said: “They came out in June and did a site visit and said anything over 15m would need planning permission so I crossed it off my worry list. But then they just turned up and stuck it up.

“It’s less than 10 feet away from the bottom of the garden. I was really quite upset when I saw it, more than anything because there has been no consultation or consideration of us.

“It’s so intrusive.”

She added: “I feel like if there had been a consultation event we could have had a say and even if it was still in that field it could still have been more sensitively placed.”

Lis Williams, who also lives next to the field where it has been put up, said: “We appreciate everyone has mobile phones and the masts have to go somewhere, but it maybe could have been less intrusive.

“I don’t think they could have put it any closer. Did they have to put it so close to the houses? It’s also part of the greenbelt and people use the area for recreation and it’s a blot on the landscape.”

She added: “It feels like it’s come in through the back door. Someone should have come out and talked us through it.”

A planning officer from the authority said it was investigating the issue.

Neville’s Cross county councillor Liz Brown said: “It just appeared. The neighbours are up in arms because they knew nothing about it and suddenly there’s a 60 ft mast.

“I’m absolutely horrified that something like that can go up without any kind of planning permission and just a couple of men can appear and erect a 70 ft mast.”

Stephen Reed, Durham County Council’s planning development manager, said: “Our planning enforcement officers are aware of this matter and are investigating in accordance with our standard procedures.”

Planning rules on the erection of telecommunications infrastructure have been loosened in recent years to lift restrictions on companies.

No-one from WHP Telecoms or Everything Everywhere was available for comment at the time of going to print.