Councillor Simon Evans of Rawmarsh Ward and local MP John Healey have launched a campaign for three mobile phone masts to be removed from the old Bellows Road shopping centre site in Rawmarsh.

The masts are owned by the telecommunications companies EE and Hutchinson – but negotiations between the council and the companies have been ongoing for more than a year.

An online petition related to the campaign can be found at www.rawmarsh.co.uk/petition.

Councillor Evans said: “The old shopping centre is an eyesore, and we have been waiting to see the back of it for decades. As a local resident, it angers me that telephone companies are stopping us from moving on and regenerating the heart of our village.”

Mr Healey said: “I’ve been involved with this project for several years, including when residents were concerned and the council needed to act to make the building safe, and when progress stalled in the past and pressure needed to be put on the owner.

“We’re both concerned by the continuing delay in demolition work, particularly because of the series of set-backs and obstacles that we’ve had to deal with over the years.

“We want this development to go ahead to bring new jobs and housing to Rawmarsh.”