CONCERNED parents are rallying against plans to build a mobile phone mast metres from their children’s school playing fields.

The 15m-high column would be situated on a verge on Canford Heath Road, right outside Ad Astra first school.

The school has sent an urgent letter out to parents asking for their views on the application from O2 and Vodafone.

Helen Mark, a member of the school’s parent teacher association, said there were grave concerns over the health implications on children.

She said: “Parents are very unhappy. There is outrage.

“They are worried about their children’s health with the proximity to the school.

“There is evidence to suggest people have suffered headaches and nausea from living close to masts like this.”

The letter sent out by Ad Astra also points out the concentration of other schools in the area, including Ashdown, Haymoor and two pre-schools.

As part of the application, the mobile phone companies have submitted guidance on health concerns.

They cite a World Health Organisation report from 2006, which states there is “no convincing scientific evidence that weak radiofreqeuncy signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects”.

It is also pointed out the levels of radio signals emitted by phone masts are “well below” international guidelines.

In objecting to the mast, another parent said they felt the research was “inadequate” and that no one yet knew the long-term effects.

Other objections to the mast received by the council cite the impact of its visibility on the landscape.

The application is due to before Poole council’s planning committee on April 15.