FAMILIES in Yelverton are outraged by a decision to site a mobile phone mast 130 yards from a popular children?s playpark.

Health concerns over the phone mast look likely to affect use of the playpark, which was built due to local demand four years ago at a cost of £50,000 and attracts hundreds of children.

Opponents of the Orange mast scheme are baffled by Dartmoor National Park?s decision to grant permission for the structure ? an extension to a mast at Yelverton Fire Station was considered a suitable alternative by the phone company and favoured by residents.

Some 665 people signed a petition against the proposal and 115 opposition letters were also submitted to the national park authority.

Mother-of-four Louise Kenna said it was ?outrageous? to approve this application: ?I understand that the moor is a protected place but is it right to site these masts so close to where people live and particularly where children play?

?The case is unproven that phone masts are harmful to health, but the anecdotal evidence is that they are not a positive thing.

?In my opinion it is morally wrong to put a mast near the playpark ?so many children use it and parents are going to be wary of going there in future.?

Parent and childminder Jane Beard said there was not enough information about the potential health risks of mobile phone masts: ?I certainly feel it would be a great shame not to use the playpark anymore because it really is wonderful, but I will probably not go there as much as I do now,? she said.

The community raised money and secured grants to create the playpark, which is the only public facility for young children in the area, and people subscribe to the local lottery to fund its maintenance.

One of the members of the committee behind the project, Brian Medhurst, who is also a grandfather, said the decision by DNPA ?beggared belief?.

?Whether there is a health risk from mobile phone masts or not, the fear is there and every parent?s first concern is to protect their children.

?Dartmoor National Park has ignored their worries and in doing so has denied access to this playpark for many children.?

On the strength of local opposition, the application was deferred last month to look into alternative locations, including a mast-share option at the fire station.

This was considered suitable by Orange but would require an extension of between three metres and five metres.

Local resident Ian Minchin, who led the fight against the proposal, said 95% of Yelverton residents opposed the site near the playpark but the planners did not appear to be interested in democracy.

?It seems to me that the decision was already made to approve this application and nothing we could say would make any difference,? he said.

DNPA?s director of planning and community Graham Wall said the mast would replace a lamp standard on the edge of Yelverton roundabout ? looking almost identical and not obtrusive.

?There are already concerns that the mast at the fire station is not terribly attractive and putting an extension of three to five metres on it would make it even more visible,? he said.

?The objections from the public are about the perceived health issues, but there are no grounds for refusing this application on this basis.

?The Government guidance states there is no evidence to suggest any harmful effects result from the small levels of radiation that come from these masts.?

A spokesman for Orange said the company had been sympathetic to the views of the community and looked at alternative sites.

?Unfortunately, the application site was the only one we could use because the fire station mast would require an extension and we were told the planners would not go for that,? he said.