A 30M high telecom mast can be sited at a woodland beauty spot near a lodge built by King Charles II, despite objections that it will be “ugly and ill positioned”.

Mobile phone giant EE has been given the green light to put up the lattice 4G mast in a clearing at Cockshoot Wood, Bailey Hill, Yorkley, as part of the nationwide 999 services network initiative, to turn “not spots’ into “hot spots”.

Forest planners rejected the scheme last year following complaints from nearby residents, on the grounds that too little information had been supplied about its possible effect on Grade II-listed Danby Lodge.

But this time they gave the go ahead, ruling that new information showed it would have a “less than substantial” impact.

Constructed by the ‘Merry Monarch’ in the 1670s on the advice of diarist and government naval official Samuel Pepys, the lodge was one of six built to oversee a section or ‘walk’ of the Forest, to protect the country’s main source of timber for ship building.

The house was named after Charles II’s High Treasurer, the Earl of Danby, while another of the buildings - the King’s Lodge - is today’s Speech House.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England opposed the updated scheme, telling planners: “The intended mast design is frankly ugly and ill positioned.

“It would be clearly visible well above the tree line and if fabricated using the style and materials as intended, markedly out of place within its surroundings.”

Neighbour Andrew Darke said it would ruin a “sylvan setting” with “busyness and ugly technical equipment”, and “significantly damage the setting of the nearby listed Danby Lodge.”

Cheryl Reid-Hammond, who lives in a nearby cottage, said: “Danby Lodge is a hidden gem used by holidaymakers to enjoy the quiet natural surroundings… historically on a par with Speech House, and you would certainly not erect a mast near there.

“This is a peaceful area that would be totally ruined if this proposal is allowed to go ahead. The area of Cockshoot Woods would be forever changed and this mast is completely out of character with the area.”

She said it would damage “ancient woodland” which was “rich in wildlife’, including dormice, while heavy construction vehicles could harm the “fragile” area.

A couple who run a nearby holiday cottage said it was “a sanctuary in which to relax and enjoy the unspoilt landscape”, and the site of the mast was “inappropriate” and the design “completely at odds with the surroundings”.

West Dean PC opposed the plan on the grounds that a stone track would have to be built to access it and a 1.2m fence around the compound was not high enough to keep out “young people and animals, especially deer.”

But council conservation adviser David Haigh said: “As long as the surrounding woodland is maintained the potential visual impacts are limited to the long distance views.

And Forest planners gave the go ahead, saying: “The location of the development has been sufficiently justified and it is considered that whilst the development would inevitably have a landscape impact, the impact would not cause undue harm.

“The impact upon the setting of Danby Lodge, a Grade-II listed building, is considered to be less than substantial and outweighed by the economic and social benefits.”

EE’s plan will see the mast fitted with a 1.2m diameter satellite dish set in a 110m sq fenced compound, with three equipment cabinets and a generator.