LANCASTER'S Priory church is likely to host a mobile phone mast despite local opposition.

The mast, which is to be 'disguised' as a flag pole, will be installed on the roof of the church, a grade one listed building, if consent is given by the Government. Councillors discussed the application on Monday.

Some welcomed the innovative design which will see the mast, for One-2-One, cover the entire city centre.

However, public concerns about safety, in an area with several mobile phone masts already, were also raised.

Cllr John Gilbert said: "This is a miraculous solution to this problem. It must be very nice for this committee to deal with an application which does not have a negative impact on anybody."

Cllr Clive Lamb added: "I think it is wonderful to have flagpoles used rather than these awful masts which appear up and down the countryside."

However, Castle ward Cllr Jon Barry said: "This is the third mobile phone mast application for this area of town since the start of July.

"I understand from the previous applications that we were encouraging mobile phone companies to share their facilities. That is clearly not happening in this case. There is still a lot of public concern abut this issue. I have heard from a physicist working in the European parliament that if there was the same level of uncertainty about the effect of health of new drugs or foodstuffs they would most certainly not be licensed."

Cllr Barry was informed that because of the design of the flagpole, sharing in this case would be impossible.

Cllr Pat England added: "We are told that safety is not an issue except around schools. I think that is a nonsense -- it shows that there is a safety concern. The masts are now designed to go over a longer distance but we can't do anything about it?"