CONCERNED residents of a West Devon village say a plan to install a police radio mast in their area should be suspended for 18 months ? or completely rejected.

The application for the mast, on the site of the old telephone exchange at Yelverton, comes before Dartmoor National Park Authority planners tomorrow (Friday).

The application seeks to remove an existing monopole and replace it with a 15m mast and to install new antennae and an equipment cabin.

Dartmoor National Park Authority member Cllr Greta Madigan said: ?My worry is the visual intrusion in the national park. We must do our best to protect the natural beauty of the park.?

Cllr Madigan said she was originally told the fire and ambulance services were to combine with police to use the mast, but the other services had since withdrawn and it now seemed likely only the police would use it.

She said the authority needed to know if the other emergency services would also want their own systems.

Buckland Monachorum Parish Council has said the mast would be ?visually obtrusive and not in sympathy with the surroundings of the area.?

A petition with 132 signatures and 30 letters of objection from people concerned about siting a mast in a residential area have also been received by the park authority

Operators Airwave MMo2 recently announced they were delaying the implementation of the Airwave police communication network in Devon and Cornwall for up to two years. Because of this, opponents say the application should be suspended by the park authority for at least 18 months.

Mast opponent Dr Grahame Blackwell said: ?DNPA members have expressed concerns about the possible additional requirements for masts by the fire and ambulance services. These will undoubtedly become clear in the next 18 months, allowing a sensible overall strategy,? he said.

Another concern was the impact upon wildlife.

?The British Trust for Ornithology has just announced a major 18-month national study which will investigate recent research findings that phone mast emissions could be responsible for the dramatic decline in bird populations. This is clearly highly relevant to Dartmoor,? said Dr Blackwell.

A spokesman for Crown Castle, which is developing the site, said: ?We understand the siting of these type of installations within communities can sometimes cause concern and we try to address these issues in an open and honest manner.

?Consequently, this application was submitted only after consultation with local residents and their representatives.?

The spokesmen said the development would operate well within guideline levels endorsed by the World Health Organisation.

The application will be discussed at the Dartmoor National Park Authority?s plans committee meeting at Bovey Tracey, tomorrow (Friday).