WAVERLEY council looks set to join other local authorities in a bid to see off unwelcome telephone masts.
Members of the council's ruling executive committee are likely to agree that Waverley should join a group of other local authorities which lobbies the government on phone masts after losing all four of its planning appeals against unwanted masts in the last two years.
Executive members have been recommended to sign Waverley up to the Local Authorities' Telecommunications Group on Tuesday.
Members have also been advised to set up a workshop for fellow councillors to consider how best to lobby the government.
Waverley's Local Plan, adopted in April 2002, which governs planning policy, states that planning permission for masts will be given if five criteria are met.
The plan stipulates that:
• masts should have no adverse affect on the appearance of the surrounding area;
• ground-based masts will only be permitted if an operator needs to bolster its network coverage and cannot do so by putting additional antennae on, or sharing an existing or proposed mast;
• masts be located in the "least-damaging" position and be appropriately designed
• trees and hedgerows are protected from any works associated with the erection of a mast;
• new buildings with more than one occupant be provided with total coverage
In a report to members of the Lib Dem-controlled executive, an officer writes of Waverley's defeats in all four of its last planning appeals: "This situation has caused much concern and the new council has placed the issue high on its list of priorities.
"It might be thought that the policy in the Local Plan is not strong enough. However, it has been endorsed by the government's own local plan inspector.
"It is not likely that the borough council would be permitted by government to strengthen the policy any further."
The matter will be discussed at Waverley's executive meeting, which is open to the public, at the council's Godalming offices on Tuesday, September 1, starting at 6-45 pm.