RESIDENTS of Aldbourne have won the first round of a fight to prevent third generation mobile phone antennae being built in their village.

Thursday's meeting of Kennet's regulatory committee voted by six votes to five to throw out the application by Castle Crown International to attach three Orange antennae and a small microwave dish to the existing mast at Stock Lane, plus the addition of a small equipment cabin.

After the meeting, local campaigner Peter Baker expressed his satisfaction at the decision but said: "We have won the first round but the battle goes on.

"Virtually everyone in Aldbourne is petrified about the effects of these new antennae.

"We have done a survey of homes that lie within 50, 100 and 200 metres of the existing Vodafone mast and it is worrying. There is evidence of higher than average incidences of cancer and other diseases.

"The experiments on the dangers of microwaves has been carried out on dead bodies, not living tissue.

"It is not so much the heating of human tissue that takes place with microwave radiation that is the problem, but the interference with biological processes."

Villagers say they have evidence that the health of local people living within 200 metres of the mast has suffered badly and that any increase in the quantity of radiation being emitted by the station must affect it even more.

It is the first time that Kennet has turned down an application for a telecommunications mast on health grounds and it flies in the face of Government guidance and evidence from eminent bodies like the National Radiological Protection Board and the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection.

Local member Chris Humphries told Thursday's meeting that Aldbourne residents had done a lot of research on the effects of microwaves on health.

He said: "For years we were told that high voltage lines had no effect on health and now they have been proved harmful. It is the same situation with aerials like these.

"Orange don't want to develop a new site, further away from homes, because it is cheaper to use the same mast. I believe that the concerns expressed by all the people living in the valley are relevant. Problems with ill health were not there before the mast was built.

"The current emissions are 100th of what is proposed by Orange and there will be a string of other antennae like this coming down the valley."

Residents of Marlborough are already campaigning against a similar application for three antennae on the roof of the telephone exchange in the middle of a residential area.

Coun David Watson said that councillors were being expected to make a decision on an application without knowing the science involved.

He suggested that a seminar be held, taken by an expert in the field, at which councillors could hear the evidence for both sides.

Planning officer Mike Wilmott warned councillors that he was not aware of any refusal on health grounds being ultimately successful at appeal.

But the motion by Coun Watson that the application should be refused on the grounds of possible impact on the health of local people was passed by six votes to five.