Government proposals to wipe out ‘not spots’ in Branscombe have been supported by the parish council.

The Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) is a £150million scheme aimed at improving rural areas’ mobile coverage and providing access to the network.

Communication watchdog Ofcom has indicated that Branscombe would be a suitable benefactor of the project.

The erection of a 20m tower by the Harlequin Group, on behalf of the Department for Media, Culture and Sport, will reduce the number of dropped calls and failed connections.

A Harlequin spokesman said: “Parents can keep in touch with children, carers can go out with more freedom, deliverymen can make contact when lost, motorists can contact the breakdown services and farmers can keep in constant contact and, importantly, place an emergency call from the field, if necessary.”

Branscombe Parish Council supported the proposal at its last meeting. Harlequin is now contacting landowners who may be interested in hosting the mast and will set up a meeting.

Branscombe chairman Tony Johnson said: “We will help in any way we can.”

A 20m-high lattice tower will be built with six antennas, six equipment cabinets at ground level, a compound secured by fencing, an access track and an electrical supply.

The tower will also require a site which can provide an acceptable level of coverage to remove the ‘not spots’.