ONE of Lymm's most historic landmarks is to get a new look.

Members of the borough council's development control committee have approved plans to alter the design of Lymm Water Tower, to provide a turret which will house mobile phone equipment.

Russell Harris, who has bought the property and intends to turn it into a family home, said that the alteration to the planning permission originally granted in 1999 was to enable two new mobile phone companies to house equipment.

The plans will hide the antennas behind a turret screen of glassfibre reinforced plastic, which is intended to match the stonework of the tower.

The meeting, which was filmed for a documentary charting Mr Harris' development of the tower, which has already cost £800,000, also heard opposition from the scheme.

Clr Sheila Woodyatt said that although the new plans were preferred to the original "monstrosity", Lymm Parish Council still had objections.

"We do not want to see Lymm Water Tower disfigured,2 she said. "It is a listed building which is a very prominent feature of the Lymm landscape."

However, councillors approved the proposals by nine votes to two.