A NEW phone mast will be built in Westhoughton despite objections from town councillors and residents.

The 12.5 metre pole, with three antennae and a microwave dish, will be erected at the TDG site on Metal Box Way.

Members of Westhoughton Town Council said people would be able to see it from their homes and it would be in the middle of a site that might be developed for more housing. But Bolton's planning officers said the mast should be approved because it would blend in with the industrial backdrop of the factory surroundings.

They said it would look like a lamp post and would not be "detrimental" to the view from neighbouring homes.

Westhoughton Town Council leader David Wilkinson, who is a member of Bolton planning committee, explained why town councillors were against the plan. He told a planning meeting: "Town councillors are against this application because the mast would still be visible over the trees.

"The planning report said the mast would be seen against the backdrop of an industrial site, but it also says the applicant is considering developing the area. If that is the case we could end up with a mast slap-bang in the middle of a prime residential area."

Two residents sent letters objecting to the mast, saying it would affect the value of their homes and could pose health risks.