Applications for mobile phone masts are running at about 180 a year, Bradford Council has revealed.

The figure was revealed at a day-long Mobile Phone Commission set up to thrash out the problems of masts and where they are put.

And the hearing - organised by the Council's environment overview and scrutiny committee - was told there is still much confusion over the health implications with fear being a major concern for many residents.

Speakers from other councils, the mobile phone industry and protesters gave a series of talks to the commission at the Business and Innovation centre with the aim of helping committee members understand the issues.

Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib-Dem, Eccleshill) said the public doubted the Government advice in the same way as they doubted its advice over the MMR jabs. Because no-one could say there was definitely no risk, people were concerned.

Graham Jones, chief planning officer in the London borough of Harrow, said the public had to accept that more mobile phones in use meant there would be a need for more masts. He said his council had turned down some mast applications because of residents' fears.

"A real fear has to be a real planning consideration. But there does need to be hard evidence of the fear," he said.

Councillor Keith Thomson, scrutiny committee chairman, said: "We are not against mobile phones but we want them to be in places where local residents are comfortable.

"We want people to be confident that when an application is agreed, it will cause no harm to local people."

Iris Hall, of Kipling Court sheltered housing, at Greengates, said there had been massive additions to a mast near her home since it was put up four year ago. Then there was no public consultation, and she blamed the mast for many of the health problems of many residents in the complex.

A spokesman from the Orange mobile phone company said it would be sending a representative around to the complex to reassure residents.

Dr Grahame Blackwell - an independent scientist - claimed that too much was unknown about the effect of the airwaves on people's health.

And Nicole Hughes, of the Federation of Electronics Industry said the industry was putting more than £3 million into research into the effects on health.