Ref. 19610-27FAMILIES living close to a mobile phone mast that was erected in Stratton St Margaret after an administrative blunder have received compensation payments.

Seven families have received cheques ranging between £10,000 and £20,000 from Swindon Council after the 20ft transmitter was built on top of a telephone exchange in Ermin Street.

The council's planning department failed to object to the One2One (now T-mobile) mast within a designated 28-day period, which meant it could be erected even though planners wanted to refuse it.

And in what is believed to be the first case of its kind the families have received a total of around £120,000 in compensation from the council for the error.

Local government ombudsman Jerry White found the council guilty of misadministration causing injustice and ordered the compensation payments for the loss of value in the homes affected.

Among those to receive compensation are neighbours, the Hall and Thomas families.

Melanie Hall, who lives with her husband Richard and seven-year-old twins Curtis and Megan, said their "ideal home" had been ruined because the mast could be viewed from their back garden and children's bedroom.

The mast sits on top of the 30 foot high building just yards away from the twin's bedroom and close to four schools. Planners intended to refuse the application saying it would be seriously detrimental to the visual amenities of nearby residents and the general area.

The council's outgoing director of resources, Ian Thompson, said: "All of the people who originally claimed compensation have now been paid and accepted the settlement, which was in the order of £120,000.

"The money has come from the council's reserves and doesn't have a knock-on effect on council services one of the reasons why we keep reserves is to deal with situations like this."

Andrew Thomas, a former mobile technologies worker, well versed in the problems associated with telecommunications stations, is another to receive compensation.

Mr Thomas, who lives with his wife Amanda and their two children Serena and Daniel next door to the Halls, refused to comment on the payout.

There are now around 26,000 base stations across the country, but that figure is expected to reach 40,000 by 2005.

Campaigners living close to mobile phone masts wrongly thought this case might pave the way for compensation claims, but the fact that a mast is built and might be a danger to health is not in itself enough for the local government ombudsman to get involved.