A ‘monstrous’ 80ft phone mast proposed yards from houses in Clevedon has been blocked by North Somerset Council.

Fears it could fall down on homes, would ‘utterly ruin’ the countryside and damage trees led to the council’s planning committee rejecting Vodafone’s plan.

The telecoms giant wanted to build it on Clevedon Golf Club’s land, but there has been confusion over whereabouts on the course.

Vodafone wanted it nearer to the ninth green than the club, but those concerns are redundant following the council’s decision on April 12.

Nicola Hodges, who lives in Linkside near the proposed site, told councillors that allowing the mast would cause damage to the surrounding area.

North Somerset Times: Residents who are concerneed about a mobile phone mast that is proposed next to their road.Residents who are concerneed about a mobile phone mast that is proposed next to their road. (Image: Archant)

She said: “The access track to the mast would have to run along the back or houses and there’s a deep copse (there) which house bats, owls and other wildlife and this would have to be destroyed.”

Of greater concern to planning officers was the trees around the proposed mast which they felt would be damaged or removed.

Cllr David Shopland said concern for trees was a ‘feeble’ excuse for refusing the plan, adding the 80ft mast so close to houses was a more pressing concern.

He said: “It (the mast) is 24 metres high which is nearly twice the height of the clock tower outside (Weston Town Hall).

“If it falls down, it would probably fall towards the houses.

“It’s out of keeping, it’s too big and it shouldn’t be there.”

He said it would ‘utterly ruin’ the surrounding area and was ‘a monstrosity’.

Cllr Chris Blades recommended the council refused the ‘quite grim’ scheme, and the motion was carried.

However, Cllr Bob Garner argued there was need for people to be ‘less precious’ about having phone masts near their homes, otherwise mobile phone signal will remain poor in parts of North Somerset.