The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport opened a consultation today.
Background: Improving mobile coverage has been a policy objective of successive governments. The most recent was launched in 2018 with the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, which included targets to extend mobile coverage to 95% of the country by 2022 and made available a pot of money to ensure rural areas were not left behind when it came to 5G.
What is in the new consultation? The draft includes proposals to simplify planning rules – something industry have lobbied for for some time. In particular, it is proposed to change the permitted height of new masts to deliver better mobile coverage, promote mast sharing, and reduce the need to build more infrastructure. The government also aims to allow the strengthening of existing ground-based masts without prior approval, to enable sites to be upgraded for 5G and for mast sharing; deploying radio equipment cabinets on protected and unprotected land without prior approval, excluding sites of special scientific interest; and to allow building-based masts closer to roads. Since these measures could have an impact on the environment and local amenities, the Government is also seeking views on what measures industry could offer to mitigate the impact of any new infrastructure, including assurances of a greater use of existing sites and the removal of redundant masts.
Next steps: The consultation closes on 5 November 2019, and seeks evidence from industry, communities and other stakeholders on the scope of the proposed planning reforms and the impact they could have. Subject to its outcome, the government is likely to run a second consultation of this on the detailed proposals before introducing any legislation. The consultation proposals relate to England only, since planning is a devolved matter. Greater mast heights have already been made possible in Wales.
