PLANNING bosses have been accused of rushing through a controversial telecommunications tower application.

The proposal involves the erection of a 15-metre 3G pole, complete with six Vodafone antennae, at the Bury Plant Hire company in Whitelegge Street, Woolfold.

The scheme had already been given prior approval and, due to time limits on dealing with mobile masts, the application is not expected to go before the council's planning committee which sits next Tuesday.

However, more than 500 residents living in and around Whitelegge Street, together with local business bosses, have signed a petition and submitted letters objecting to the mast which would tower over the street.

Now, Elton councillors Yvonne Creswell and Denise Bigg are leading calls for the proposal to be included in next week's agenda and allow their colleagues on the planning committee to visit the site before making any decisions.

Coun Creswell said: "We are supposed to be a listening council yet, despite more than 500 people objecting to this plan, their voices are not being heard.

"These masts are all about money and nothing to do with the concerns of the people."

Fears have increased about the introduction of the third-generation masts following research in Holland which says signal emissions can cause headaches and nausea to people living within 100 metres of the masts.

Coun Bigg said: "This mast will protrude more than five-metres above the Bury Plant Hire building. It will be an eyesore and will impact on the residents amenities.

"There are also concerns on health grounds. These concerns must be voiced to the planning committee to decide on the outcome of this application."

Mr Adrian Harding, senior planning officer for Bury Council, sympathised with the residents.

However, he said: "No final decision has been made on the mast although it would be situated in a commercial area more than 50 metres away from the nearest house.

"Vodafone has also signed a declaration stating emissions from the transmitter would not exceed European limits. In this instance there is not a strong case for rejecting the application."