Telecommunications
The Scottish Government's planning policy will enable the telecommunications industry to expand and diversify, promoting appropriate developments that minimise adverse effects in their chosen location.
New controls and guidance were implemented by the Scottish Government to counter concerns over the location of telecoms equipment, particularly phone masts. This new planning regime was also developed in response to Transport and Environment Committee and in light of the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP).
Policy summary
Telecommunications legislation and regulation is reserved to the UK Parliament and administered by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). Legislative responsibility for town and country planning is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
The National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 19: Radio Telecommunications provides guidance on, among other things, health, the role of the planning system and siting and design issues.
- All new ground-based masts require a specific grant of planning permission
- All planning applications for telecommunications developments involving the installation of antennas must be accompanied by an ICNIRP certificate, including those developments which already have planning permission through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.
SPP Update
As part of the commitment to proportionate and practical planning polices, the Scottish Government is rationalising the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) series into a single, shorter statement of national planning policy. The initial sections of the consolidated SPP were published in October 2008 as Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) covering the core principles, aspirations and expectations of the planning system. The remaining sections of the consolidated SPP, covering community engagement, sustainable development, outcomes and the subject policies, were published for consultation in April 2009. The consultation closed in June 2009. A further consultation on changes to the sustainable development, climate change, flooding and coastal planning sections and to policy on onshore oil and gas operations and high amenity business locations ran from September 30, 2009 until November 12, 2009. The final consolidated SPP will at published by the end of 2009. More information on the consolidation is available on the SPP home page.