A 50-FOOT high mobile phone mast looks likely to be built next to a junior school in St Albans.

Mobile phone giant One-2-One wants to build the mast by the entrance to Safeway supermarket in Hatfield Road - yards from Fleetville JM School.

The company's plans are one of five applications received this week by St Albans District Council to erect mobile phone masts or other telecommunications equipment.

Rival company Orange wants to build six new antennae in Telford Court, off Alma Road, and install telecommunications equipment in Moor Mill Tanker Depot in Smug Oak Lane, Bricket Wood.

One-2-One also applied this week to put up telecommunications equipment in Alban Park industrial estate, and British Telecom applied to build two eight-metre satellite dishes at its centre in St Albans Road, Sandridge.

The recent proliferation of phone masts in St Albans district, and all over the country, has sparked anger from protesters who say there is no proof they are not harmful to humans.

But the Government has assured people that the masts pose no health risk.

Fleetville JM School declined to comment on the issue.

Under planning law, any mast under 15 metres tall does not require planning permission. The telecommunications company simply applies for 'prior approval', which means that as long as the equipment conforms to general guidelines handed down by the Government, councils have no power to block them.

There have been many examples recently where large masts have been erected next to schools and housing.

St Albans District Council's director of planning and heritage Peter Lerner said at present the council's 'hands were tied' because it has little sway over whether, or where, mobile phone masts are built.

But he said he believed the Government is poised to change the law to give more power back to local authorities.

Mr Lerner added: 'The Government's guidelines currently allow the fast-tracking of small pieces of telecommunications equipment, because it wants to support the growth of this industry.

'But I think the Government has become fairly unhappy with the current state of legislation - because of the way some applications have gone through - and it is poised to change that.

'We would welcome a change in the law to give us more of a say.

'This is the sort of area where we would like to have control and be able to listen to people's concerns about these mobile phone masts.

'I imagine the telecommunications industry are aware that there is about to be a change in the law, and are trying to get some of their plans through quickly before this comes into effect.'