PLANS for an 18-metre mobile phone mast in north Durham have been approved, despite public opposition.

Derwentside District Council gave the go-ahead for Vodaphone to install the aerial and radio equipment at Unit G1, Park Road, on the North Industrial Estate, in Blackhill, near Consett.

It received two petitions opposing the proposal from nearby residents, one with 49 signatures and another with 54, as well as eight letters of protest.

A summary of the objections was submitted to the council's development control committee.

They included health concerns for local residents and workers because of the low-level location of the mast.

Businesses also feared the waves transmitted from the mast would interfere with computer-based systems.

Concerns about the potential effect on property prices were also raised.

Area planning officer Shaun Wells said: "While recent court cases have confirmed that the public perception of health risks can be a material consideration, it has been generally held, and widely established at planning appeals, that health concerns are not sufficient basis alone for withholding consent, providing that the proposed installation will comply with the guidelines.

"It should, therefore, be recognised that it is the Government's view that the planning system is not the place to determine health safeguards, providing that the operator certifies that the proposed telecommunications apparatus meets the guidelines.