Controversial plans to erect a 26ft high mobile phone mast at a famous village are facing growing opposition from residents.
The proposals for Pennan have been put forward as part of a £25million Scottish Government scheme to boost 4G coverage in rural areas.
It would be installed next to the village hall, but the community council has already questioned the need to place it in that position.
Developers hope it will get rid of the mobile phone “not-spot” and improve coverage in the coastal community made famous by the Local Hero film.
However, the custodians of the building, the Pennan Hall Committee, have now raised concerns about the plans.
They have submitted an objection letter to the council questioning the move.
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Writing on behalf of the committee, Alistair Mackenzie said the chosen location was “unacceptable”.
He said: “The proposed location of the mast is immediately adjacent to the west end gable of the Pennan Community Hall.
“This is unacceptable in that it restricts maintenance access to that gable and may also absolutely restrict any future opportunity to adapt, extend or otherwise amend the footprint and arrangements of the community hall.
“I would suggest that allowing siting immediately adjacent to an already existing building will set a rather unusual precedent.”
Alex Campbell, of Pennan, also branded the proposal a “waste of public funds” and cast doubts over whether it would be of any benefit to the local community.
He wrote: “We strongly object to the proposed development on the basis that it offers no benefits to the residents of Pennan and it offers no economic benefits to the village.”
Bill Pitt, chairman of the New Aberdour, Tyrie and Pennan community council, previously raised concerns about the mast setting.
He said: “We feel that while the mast will help with communication, the main issue is the location and there hasn’t been sufficient information from the company on that.
“We do not feel we can support this proposal at this time.”
Documents submitted alongside the plans by WHP Telecoms said the mast would be “minimal in scale” and stressed that there would be “limited visual impact.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said the proposed mast location in Pennan was based on “desktop estimates for an optimal mast location.”
He added ministers and WHP Telecoms were happy to speak to locals to find a “mutually acceptable” solution.
