A GRANDFATHER and his partner are fighting for a second time to keep a mobile phone mast off their doorstep.

James Core and Eileen Beck are having sleepless nights once again after discovering Orange has resubmitted plans to site a mast 175 metres from their Heather View home in Bradley.

The couple took up the original fight earlier this year against the erection of a nine-metre high mast at Quarry Field on Crag Lane in the village.

Their main concern was on health grounds and they were especially worried about the effect the mast would have on their three grandchildren who stay at their house at weekends and during holidays.

Their efforts were rewarded when members of Craven District Council's planning committee went against officers' recommendations and turned down the application in March this year.

But now the pair are fighting again as the telecommunications giant has submitted a new planning application for the same site, to include an eight-metre high mast.

The company is also requesting permission for a 300mm dish, which would be concealed within an imitation transformer box.

Mr Core said: "We had been expecting Orange to put in another application, but they had waited so long we had started to hope that they would see sense and look for a better position.

"I can't believe they have put an application in for the same position. We'll continue fighting because we have to.

"It wants to stick the mast right out in the open in a beautiful area, it doesn't want to make the effort or spend any money.

"Fortunately, people in Bradley are very willing to help."

Almost half of the adults in the village, 239, supported the couple during their last campaign and Mr Core is hoping to get even more on board this time.

Supporting the couple are Malcolm Taylor and his daughter Kathryn.

Mr Taylor said: "Orange does not appear to have considered realistic alternative sites outside this very small area. Villagers are concerned the current application will still be an eyesore in this special landscape area."

No-one from Orange was available to comment this week, but in a letter to Mr Core in July, Duncan McGraw from the firm wrote: "Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused to you and your family by Orange's intentions to resubmit a second planning application at this site."

He added the base station was required for coverage in Low and High Bradley and the company had spent some considerable time, effort and resource looking at whether alternative locations could be used.

But, he added: "Unfortunately none of the sites were suitable."

He said he understood Mr Core's health concerns, but said electromagnetic emissions for the base station would be thousands of times within the limits set by the International Commission of Non-Ionising Radiation Protection, adopted by the government.

Craven District Council planners are expected to determine the application when they meet on October 17.