KENNET councillors granted retrospective planning permission for a mobile phone antenna on the roof of the Marlborough telephone exchange after local protesters withdrew their objections.

Last Thursday's meeting of the district council's regulatory committee heard that two letters had been received from residents withdrawing their objections after they were made aware that BT was going to move the dish antenna to a position where it would not be visible on the skyline.

BT had put up a temporary dish on a tripod on the roof of the telephone exchange, yards from homes in Blowhorn Street and Lower Prospect without planning permission. Residents were furious that the company had taken this action after previous applications to put up antennae on the roof had been thrown out following vociferous local objections.

Marlborough councillor Bill Cavill was not in favour of retrospective planning applications and said fees for them should be four times higher.

"This installation is making an already ugly building even uglier. They could connect to the transmitter on Forest Hill with cables buried under the ground," he said.

Senior planning officer Mike Wilmott said the dish was a receiver rather than a transmitter and would route mobile phone calls into the landline system at the exchange.

Coun Rosemary Cummins said she was alarmed because the dish seemed to be emitting a high-pitched buzzing noise close to homes.

She said: "This is an arrogant application from BT, which flouts our concerns.

"Its approach is deplorable. The dish has been in place since April. It was put up without any consultation. This committee should feel most concerned about this organisation and its methods."

Coun Philip Brown said the buzzing noise was not coming from the dish in question. He said that digging up the road between the exchange and Forest Hill to bury the cable would not be acceptable.

Planning permission was granted with three councillors voting against.