PLANS for a 27.5 metre phone mast in the Chalke Valley have been submitted to Wiltshire Council as part of a drive to end "not spots" in the area.

If approved, the mast will be placed on land owned by North Hill Farm in Ebbesbourne Wake and provide coverage for all four mobile network operators - Vodafone, O2, 3 and EE.

At the moment mobile network coverage is non-existent in some areas called "not spots".

The site is located in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) prompting the AONB to say it has "severe reservations" about its visibility and intrusion into the rural scene.

However the application is supported by Ebbesbourne Wake Parish Council which says it recognises the need for mobile phone reception.

Chairman Janine Hillary said: "Most people in the village really want to have it - the reception here is really poor and there are lots of elderly people who can't call for help if they need it on mobiles.

"Emergency services and delivery drivers which can't find addresses are unable to call because mobiles don't work.

"Lots of people are running businesses here in a rural area - things have changed in the last few years and we have all begun to expect to be able to use our mobile phones.

"We also have the Chalke Valley History Festival here and they have to have a special satellite to provide mobile coverage - it's much-needed.

"I haven't heard anyone object to it - the only thing people are asking is how long it's going to take to get off the ground. It's been in the pipeline for several years.

The application is for a 27.5m lattice tower with six antennas, two 0.6m dishes and six ground-based equipment cabinets within a fenced area and has been submitted by telecommunications company Arqiva.

It would provide 2G and 3G signal and possibly 4G services.

The proposal is part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP), a £150m government-funded project to correct a market failure in the provision of mobile phone coverage.

An Ebbesbourne Wake Parish Council meeting is taking place at the village hall on Tuesday, September 15, at 7pm and the phone mast application will be discussed as an item on the agenda.