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Mobile phone masts
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Mobile phone masts
There are about 74 million mobile
phones in use in the UK today compared to nine million nine years
ago - that's more than one phone for every person.
Many people have a work and a personal
mobile, or a mobile and a laptop datacard, and mobile phones are
used in at least 85 per cent of all households.
This large number of mobile phones
cannot work without the network equipment and, most importantly
masts must be placed close to where people use their phones.
This page covers the followings
topics:
Telecoms Register
The Telecoms
Register (PDF 70KB) lists all of the telecom base stations
in the Borough. This register provides information on the type of
development, its location, the type of application and the date of
decision. It is updated annually. Furthermore, the Office of Communications (Ofcom)
provides information on the location of telecom base stations
throughout the country.
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Telecoms Rollout Plan 2011/12
The Telecoms
Rollout Plan 2011/12 (PDF 52KB) is a strategic document that
sets out areas in which the telecom operators are seeking to
increase their network coverage. The sites suggested are generally
indicative, but provide the operators with an early indication of
suitability. The feedback made by the Council does not prejudice it
when assessing telecom applications in the future, i.e. if the
Council suggests that a particular site may be suitable, it does
not mean that the Council has to approve an application for that
site, should one be made. As such the Rollout Plan allows the
opportunity for open and informative discussion to be made.
The Council has compiled a series of maps that display where the
location of the proposed sites in the Telecoms Rollout Plan.
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Maps showing potential mast locations
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Local and national policies
Planning Policy Guidance 8 (PPG8) deals with
telecommunications. The document takes account of changes to the
telecoms industry and provides advice about taking health into
consideration when deciding planning applications for telecoms
equipment. Locally, applications are assessed
against Local
Development Framework (LDF) policy E6 in the
Borough Wide Primary Policies Development Plan
Document.
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Masts and the planning process
Not all telecom development requires a planning
application. Phone masts will normally fall within one of
three categories:
- Permitted Development (ie; no permission or notice
required to be served on Local Authority)
- Permitted Development that requires
prior approval (by the Local Authority)
- Development that requires an
application for planning permission and/or listed building consent
- made to the Local Authority.
The General Permitted Development Order (1995) provides the
definitive requirements of what is permitted development, but in
general if the proposed development is:
a) less than 15 metres tall and based on the ground, or
b) less than 10 metres tall if located on a building which itself
is
less than 30 metres tall then planning permission is not
required.
Despite sometimes not needing planning permission, all telecom
development must be built in accordance with International
Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP) public exposure guidelines. These
health issues are addressed below in health.
In the second category, where a telecom development is
categorised as permitted development that requires prior approval,
the Council has:
- 56 days to decide whether a full planning application is
needed. If a decision is not made in this time frame, it is deemed
that approval is granted.
In the third category, where the development requires planning
permission and includes proposals in Conservation Areas:
- the proposal will be determined just like any other
planning application and a decision is usually made within 8 weeks
of the application date.
In both the second and third category, the consultation process
is similar and involves a site notice and letters to local
residents. This gives concerned parties an opportunity to express
their views to the Council.
For greater information on this process it is best to consult
the
Code of Best Practice (2002), it also contains information on
many other telecom matters.
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Masts and health
Health risks, or even fear of possible health risks are valid
considerations when the Council considers planning
applications.
However, the Government's latest advice on Telecommunications in
PPG 8 states:
"It is the government’s firm view that the
planning system is not the place for determining health safeguards.
It remains central Government’s responsibility to decide what
measures are necessary to protect public health. In the
Government’s view, if a proposed development meets the
ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionising
Radiation Protection) guidelines for public exposure it should be
necessary for a local planning authority, in processing the
application for planning permission or prior approval to consider
further health aspects and concerns about
them”.
Therefore, where a mobile phone mast installation meets the
ICNRP guidelines this Council cannot refuse
permission. If it does it would be difficult to argue this case at
appeal.
The Department of Health (see bottom of page for links) has
published a few helpful leaflets on the impact of mobile phones and
telecom base stations.
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