HAVING raised two petitions from local residents in 2004 and 2005, I am acutely aware of the ill feeling that telephone mast applications bring.

The current legislation surrounding masts was written in the 1980s when mobile telephones were new and there was a degree of urgency to get the network built. This was written in a way that favoured the operators.

The recent problems have come as a result of the new third generation telephones - 3G. These have a weaker, but more complex signal and so require more masts - a tripling in urban areas and a doubling in rural areas - resulting in a huge increase in recent applications.

The problem is, the legislation has not changed.

Five telephone operators bought the 3G licences in the late 1990s and the Government is very reluctant to alter the legislation, not least because such action may be deemed to be a change to the original agreement under which the licences were bought.

Two Conservative MPs have been trying to deal with this legislative problem and the two petitions I raised amongst Wyre Forest residents have given them support.

Firstly Richard Spring and then David Curry brought Private Members Bills to try to deal with this. The most important point behind both Bills was that the emphasis of planning returns to local district councillors.

In this way, the people elected by local people to represent local views can be allowed to take into account those local views when considering telephone mast applications.

Unfortunately, both Bills failed due to the Government enlisting the help of Labour backbenchers who used up all the available parliamentary time discussing earlier Private Member's Bills.

I have always stated that as Wyre Forest's Member of Parliament I would try to bring a Private Member's Bill to continue this campaign to give local residents a stronger voice.

Should Conservatives still find themselves in opposition after the next election and should I win the blessing of Wyre Forest residents, my first job will be to start that process.

However, should Conservatives win the next general election, it has always been our stated intention to deal with this issue as the Government.

But I must warn residents that the next election may be over two years away and by then the damage may have been done.

In the meantime, your local councillors will do their very best to represent local views within the existing framework.

MARK GARNIER Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest