A BASINGSTOKE councillor has called on the developers behind a proposed phone mast next to The Vyne School to “for once, do the right thing.”

It comes after the application, submitted by Hutchinson 3G to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for a 20 metre mast at the corner of Vyne Road and Queen Mary Avenue, in South View, received permission by default, due to a council ‘error’ that led to missing the deadline to reject it by one day.

Cllr Paul Harvey (Basingstoke and Deane Independent Group), who represents Norden, summed up his upset at the council failure, saying: “I am very disappointed. The community is disappointed and they are angry.”

He added: “The hope is that the developer will listen to that anger. This is the wrong place to site this phone mast. If they have any sense then they will listen, rather than just gloat, bulldoze ahead and ram it down the community’s throats.

“We want to see it stopped. They knew the council was going to reject it and we wish they would talk to us.”

The proposal was rejected this week on the grounds that other suitable sites had not been considered, however the decision came just a day too late.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s executive director of residents’ services Rebecca Emmett said: “As part of the planning process, the council has 56 days to determine permitted development notifications.

“Due to an administrative error, the notification was determined after the 56-day period. As a result of this, the council’s objection to the plans does not stand and the applicant has deemed consent to install the mast.”

Posting about the issue on his Facebook page, Cllr Harvey outlined the “hail mary” option of Hampshire County Council, as landowners, refusing permission, but said he was “not hopeful.”

He told the Gazette: “We hope that the county council will see the level of objection, but we do not know whether that would be successful. We need to ask the county to step up now and help us.”

However, Cllr Harvey’s main plea is to the developer themselves.

“You have not engaged, you have not consulted. You could have done, and we wish you would have done,” he said.

“For once, do the right and honourable thing and do not do it.”

The Gazette has contacted Hutchinson 3G's agent (Sinclair Dalby) for comment.