RESIDENTS are celebrating after plans for a large Vodafone mast in the centre of Tytherington were scrapped.

The communications’ giant withdrew its application to install a mobile phone mast on Manchester Road, close to the Shell Service Station, following objections from Ian Davies and his neighbours on Bluebell Close – and, bizarrely, the Bat Society.

Residents sent letters of protest to Macclesfield Borough Council on the grounds that the mast did not meet Government guidelines and was too close to Marlborough Primary School and Tytherington High School.

Ian said: "This mast would have been equidistant between two schools. When we looked into it we found the Government says they should be at least 100 metres from any resident, and this was less than 20m. Also, they first said it was going to be a standard mast, only for us to find out it was going to be a new generation of mast, much higher with a triple tower on top of it. This is a victory for the common man."

They received the long-awaited letter from MBC planning chiefs on Monday (October 20), having won the backing of Cheshire East Councillor Bill Livesley.

He said: "This is very welcome news. Residents were very concerned about where it was going to be and at least six letters were sent in. In the end, county council highways looked at it as well and decided it was not suitable. They went back to to the applicant, who withdrew their application."

Mr Davies explained the eventual backing of the Bat Society.

"They came on board after it emerged there are bats in the tree in my garden, which is just a width of the road across from where the mast would have been," he said.

No one at the Macclesfield planning department was available for comment as the Express went to press.