EXMOOR has become the first national park in the UK to benefit from a Government pot of cash to boost mobile phone coverage in remote areas.

The communications infrastructure and media services company Arqiva, which is delivering the £150 million Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) to tackle areas known as 'not spots' with no effective coverage, has won the go-ahead to put up a shared mobile phone mast at Higher Golsoncott Farm, Roadwater.

The 20 metre-high lattice mast with six antennas and two dishes, along with six cabinets and a 1.8 metre high fence, will serve all four main mobile networks.

And, crucially, it will provide coverage to an estimated 146 properties and 27 'not spots' in the wider area.

David Wyborn, head of planning and sustainable development at the national park, said the planning committee members had all been supportive of the proposals at Roadwater, acknowledging the importance of modern communications to both residents, businesses and visitors.

He said national park planners had made sure that Exmoor was at the front of the queue when consultants were looking at sites across the UK for masts and were delighted that a solution could be found to cover Roadwater.

The support of the landowner and local community had been crucial to the successful outcome.

"We will continue to work with the project, landowners and local communities to ensure that as many areas can be provided with mobile phone coverage as possible, all in a way that maintains Exmoor's landscape," said Mr Wyborn.

The application for the mast received the full support of Old Cleeve Parish Council, with councillors saying it would bring considerable benefits to Roadwater and the surrounding hamlets of Leighland, Golsoncott and Rodhuish, while improving general communications for the local area.

They said that, although they recognised there would be some impact on the local landscape, they considered the benefits outweighed this.

Councillors also said many small businesses in the national park run from people's homes would also benefit from an improved telecommunications network.

The application sparked two letters of objection, 14 letters of support and four other letters raising a number of issues.

Concerns included the impact on the landscape and nearby properties, along with potential noise and health issues.

But planning committee members backed the view of planning officers that the proposal would have a "localised negative impact" on visual amenity and landscape but that there were considerable socio-economic benefits to the development.