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 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