RESIDENTS are expected to be out in force on Thursday to protest against plans for a new 40ft mobile phone mast planned for Laverstock.

Vodafone want permission to put the mast on land owned by Salisbury District Council at Cow Lane, within 100m of homes and close to both Chafyn Grove and Godolphin schools.

Tim Boughton, of nearby Bourne Avenue, has been gathering support for a campaign against the proposal and the district council has received 47 letters of objection.

And Laverstock Parish Council has also raised strong objections on the grounds the site is on the boundary of water meadow land However, planning officers have recommended planning permission be given and the southern area committee is due to meet tonight to make a decision.

An officer's report to the council says: "It is a appreciated that telecommunication operators have a requirement to provide mobile phone coverage and the local planning authority accept that it is very difficult to identify an ideal site, particularly in this area, because by their very nature telecommunication poles, even timber monopoles, are noticeable in the landscape."

The report states the firm has demonstrated a need for coverage in this area and that, although the siting is finely balanced, the visual impact of the pole will be limited.

A council spokesman said the council has not made any indication to Vodafone if its land could be used in that way.

The debate over whether mobile phone mast emissions are safe has been raging for many years and residents are concerned at this mast's proximity to homes and the two schools.

Some studies suggest they can cause a wide range of health problems from mild nausea to cancer, but the Government maintains they are safe and that radiation emissions are well below recommended limits.

The southern area committee will discuss the plan at Radnor Hall in Bodenham at 4.30pm.