New phone masts for county ground

The club has agreed to house the equipment for the Orange network in exchange for an undisclosed rent. But first the company must win planning permission. It has submitted an application to Brighton and Hove City Council.

If the application is successful, the antennae would be attached to one of the ground's floodlights at a height of 20m.

They would join an O2 antennae, which was erected earlier this year.

The application is the latest in a series of controversial proposals from the club and risks angering cricket-loving neighbours who are already upset about plans to redevelop the ground at Eaton Road.

Ron Richardson, 75, who lives in the Ashdown flats overlooking the ground, said: "I had little objection to the O2 mast going up but with three you will get the combined effect.

"Some people say there is no health risk but others say there is.

"We have to assume that once this company gets permission, then the others will want to do it too.

"The club may say they can't make enough money out of cricket but if that's the case they are not doing their job. The cricket ground is in a residential area and there should be no need for this."

Mr Richardson said the club had notified neighbours of its plans for extra antennae in a letter sent out a few weeks ago.

But he said the club was acting against the wishes of the community which had already had to endure a number of unwelcome changes to the ground in the past few years, including the installation of eight floodlights and increasing noise from speakers.

Hugh Griffiths, the club's chief executive, refused to comment on the latest phone mast plans.

Rebecca D'Arcy, spokeswoman for Orange, said: "We consulted with local ward councillors and erected many site notices around the perimeter of the grounds as well as at the club itself for local residents to see prior to the application being submitted.

"The site will not be intrusive to residents as the antennae will be mounted to existing floodlights."