TWO Wirral councillors threatened with arrest last week over a mobile phone mast protest have highlighted the case with Conservative party leader David Cameron.

Cllr Chris Blakeley and Cllr Leah Fraser took a copy of the Wirral Globe to Bolton in a bid to demonstrate how the current planning laws favour the developers without giving enough say to local people.

The move comes after we reported how the Wirral Tories and campaigning residents were nearly arrested for breach of the peace for staging a peaceful protest at the site where a 15m mobile phone mast was being installed at Moreton Cross.

It was a last ditch attempt to stop T-Mobile after a massive council error saw the operator granted planning permission by mistake.

Cllr Blakeley said: "Last week's drama on Hoylake Road was the result of bungling by the council coupled with favouritism in the planning system towards developers such as T-Mobile.

"At every stage of this fiasco, local people have been denied a voice. We urged David Cameron to give a greater say to local people when he is drawing up the next manifesto. It is unacceptable to me, and many other people who live in Moreton, that a developer can ride roughshod over the democratic process."

Cllr Fraser added: "It's about time that councils are allowed to take health concerns into account such as near homes, hospitals and schools. Current national planning guidance prohibits this.

"Mast operators such as T-Mobile should be required to demonstrate that any development does not result in unacceptable damage to visual amenity or harm environmentally sensitive features.

"Having spoken to David Cameron, we're hopeful that changes to the planning system will be supported."

Four mobile phone masts in Moreton, Claughton, Heswall and Pensby were granted planning permission despite being refused by two separate planning committees.

Wirral Council failed to send out the decision notices within the 56-day time limit and did not realise until T-Mobile emailed to say that, legally, it had planning consent.