RESIDENTS are furious after Wycombe District Council ruled by a whisker that plans for a generator and air conditioning unit to go up near their homes will go ahead.

Councillors were split down the middle about whether to allow BT Cellnet to continue with its plan to construct a building which will house stand-by generators and an air handling plant at Globeside Thames Industrial Estate in Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow.

The final decision of the council's planning applications panel, which met last Wednesday, May 23, hung on the committee chairman's casting vote in favour of the telecommunications company.

But residents of Riverpark Drive, Marlow, are outraged at the decision and believe that noise from the air conditioning unit, which will be built on the perimeter of their road, will seriously affect their quality of life.

More than 20 residents turned up at the meeting to show their disapproval of the plans, led by spokesman Harry Roberts, who lives in Riverpark Drive.

Mr Roberts said: "We are incredibly concerned about the potential noise from such a unit and as was pointed out by some committee members it is not only the noise itself but the pitch of it."

But the group were heartened after a BT Cellnet spokesman agreed to two conditions put forward by Mr Roberts about what would happen if noise levels did become unacceptable.

"He responded very succinctly to our concerns and everyone felt a lot calmer with the conditions," added Mr Roberts.

"If they fail to comply with the Environmental Health's definition of an acceptable noise level they will have no choice but to shut the development down."

He added: "However if we consider the noise to be disruptive they have undertaken to do their best to remove the problem. Hopefully on these promises we will have no problem."