PLANS to erect a 12.5m telecommunications mast next to a garage and residential area in Kidderminster have been thrown out.

Applicant, 02 (UK) Ltd, had proposed to place the three-antennae mast next to the Esso garage in Habberley Road.

Wyre Forest District Council's planning committee received 44 letters of objection from neighbouring residents, who feared the proposal would have a detrimental impact on the value of their homes.

Headteachers at Franche Middle School and St Barnabas First School also voiced their concerns over health implications and the distraction the mast might pose to drivers using the island.

The application came hot on the heels of a separate proposal, by the same applicant, to erect another 12.5m mast on land at the corner of Habberley Lane and Habberley Road.

Both applications were rejected on the grounds it would significantly affect the character and visual amenity of the area.