Residents are protesting against a plan to replace a telecommunications mast with one nearly double the height and add antennae to it and cabinets to its base.

A public meeting to consider the plan by Cornerstone, acting for Telefonica and Vodafone, was being staged by Horrabridge Parish Council on Tuesday as the Times went to press.

The mast, on the junction of Graybridge Road with the A386 Tavistock Road, is 12.5 metres high, the new mast would be 20 metres high with six antennae.

The public meeting is for the council planning sub-committee to hear views on a ‘pre-consultation’ letter.

Residents John and Diane Fairbrass overlook the mast and say it spoils their view of Dartmoor.

John, an ex-Royal Marine, of Tavistock Road, said: ‘We live here precisely because of the wonderful view. I can’t believe they want to put an even bigger one in its place.

It’s bad enough now, a quite wide black blot on the landscape. We can see it out of our lounge window.

There’s nothing much on it now, but if they want to add aerials to it that will make it more intrusive.’

DNP confirmed it had received the letter. New rules permit bigger masts within permitted development rights —granted by Parliament, rather than local planning authorities. However, National Parks England and the Mobile Operators Association work in partnership balancing the needs of park residents to benefit from better connectivity, while protecting parks’ special qualities.