An Orange Phones representative came to Carnoustie from London to lead an appeal against Angus Council's refusal to allow the mast to be installed outside the Aboukir Hotel, on the extended pavement at the foot of Carlogie Road.
Despite the pourin
g rain, Councillor Helen Oswald, Depute Provost Peter Murphy, community council chairperson Mrs Sue McMahon, and a group of nearby residents gathered at the site to express their opposition.
Orange want to erect a mast at the foot of Carnoustie's Carlogie Road.
Mrs McMahon explained that it is Angus Council policy not to allow mobile 'phone masts to be built on publicly-owned council property, and any Scottish Government decision overruling this would be totally against the democratic process.
The decision by the local authority had been unanimous, with no cross-party division.
Mr Dave Scorgie, co-owner of the immediately adjacent Aboukir Hotel angrily stated that he had not even been informed of Orange's intentions.
He said: "I'm absolutely furious that Orange would even think about placing a mast right outside this recently renovated hotel. I am particularly concerned about the impact it may have on our business, with guests' rooms being so close to a 'phone mast.
"Not only that, if the mast is hit by a vehicle losing control on the corner, it could fall right onto the building"
Mrs McMahon also said that Vodafone is applying for permission to install a similar mast on Carlogie Road at the bus stop adjacent to the Recreation Ground playing fields.
She had asked Orange why it was that they had not co-operated with Vodafone so as to share a mast, but the response had been what she described as a "fudged reply".
Mrs McMahon went on: "The mast is hardly unobtrusive. It will have one of these ugly boxes on top of it, making it highly visible."
