A CAMPAIGN group has been formed to continue the fight against a plan to site a telecommunications mast near a village school.

More than 400 people have signed a petition to try and stop the mast being erected on the recreation ground in Marden because of its close proximity to the school and recreational village communities.

Marden residents, Steve and Gill Williams, offered to pay £37,500 to the village’s recreational Trust, which manages the site, for it not to be installed at that location.

It was the same sum being offered by the joint developers – Shared Access and Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd – for a 25-year lease to site the mast, which already had prior planning approval.

However, at a meeting of the parish council earlier this month, residents discovered that despite a great amount of local opposition, the lease had been signed by the Trust.

They are now continuing to campaign against the mast with the aim of moving it to a different location in the village.

In a statement, the campaign group said: “With over 400 signatures (and still growing daily), we as a group, will try to persuade Shared Access to re-think siting the mast on the village recreation ground.

“We believe with the amazing support from the residents of Marden and others who have yet to be contacted, we will get the mast moved to a more suitable site of which several are available.”

In the statement, they outlined what they saw as the ‘general feeling’ and concerns of villagers, and claimed there was limited publicity and notification of the proposal to site the mast.

They also believe the parish council and Marden Village Recreational Trust should have held a public consultation with residents before entering negotiations.

They also claim the signing of the lease had been unnecessarily and without explanation ‘hurried through’ when an alternative offer was available to the trust.

The petition can be signed at Marden Post Office or by calling 07971289517 to collect a paper form.