Blackfen residents say they are “furious” a huge phone mast was not prevented from being put up because Bexley Council failed to respond in time to the application.

Amanda Ranford, of Wellington Avenue, said Vodafone has installed a 32ft phone mast across from her house despite the council’s online planning portal giving a status of the application as “awaiting decision.”

At a planning committee meeting on November 10, the application was deemed inaccurate and therefore refused.

However, the council failed to comment on an appeal of the decision and this gave Vodafone the right to install it.

Amanda said: “We are furious. We feel seriously let down about this. The whole thing stinks.

“We have a mast we don't want and according to the planning portal the application is awaiting a decision, the planning meeting was in November!”

Amanda said she and her neighbours were not consulted or given any notice that Vodafone would be building the mast.

She said: “I don’t want to draw my curtains. It is an eyesore, we really should have been at least notified.

“It is hideous.”

The mast was partially refused initially because of its location in front a historically important bomb shelter.

The Government has given the majority of masts general planning permission, meaning that operators have to give the local planning authority 56 days to make comments.

If after 56 days the local planning authority has not commented, they can install them – and Bexley Council just missed that cut-off point.

A spokesman for Bexley Council said that because of the situation they are reviewing their planning procedures.

The spokesman said: “In the case of this mast, the application was taken to Planning Committee three days after the 56 day period had expired. Because of this the Council could not refuse the application and the operator was free to install the mast.

“We apologise for the error. All our procedures are now under review to ensure such circumstances do not arise again in future.”

Vodafone said: “Vodafone and O2 customers expect to be able to use their mobiles and devices where they live, work and travel.

“Vodafone and O2 identified that they need to improve the coverage to their customers in Bexleyheath and proposed a new base station on Wellington Avenue in 2016.

“We have now built this base station, this development will allow for the provision of improved 2G, 3G and 4G services for Vodafone and O2 customers.”