Planning Policy and Practice
This section of the website has been drawn up with telecommunications development in mind. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of all telecommunications issues but to provide a helpful guide to planning law and practice in the UK. The topics covered can be reached via the links to the right of this page.
England Planning Policy and Practice
Scotland Planning Policy and Practice
Wales Planning Policy and Practice
Northern Ireland Planning Policy and Practice
In order to assist those accessing this site a number of links are provided (where available) to other relevant websites. Where this is not possible or there are no relevant websites, then source references are provided. The MOA is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any information derived from those linked sites or other references.
The decision letters to which reference has been made in this website have been scanned in and may be accessed in pdf format. Crown copyright of those decision letters is hereby acknowledged and it is a requirement of those accessing and utilising those decision letters that they also acknowledge Crown copyright.
Additional Planning Links
England
www.communities.gov.uk
Northern Ireland
www.planningni.gov.uk
Scotland
www.scotland.gov.uk
Wales
www.wales.gov.uk/subiplanning
Planning Portal
www.planningportal.gov.uk
Ten Commitments
Central to the operators’ approach to network development is consultation with local communities, planning officers and other stakeholders on any proposed new developments. Pre-application consultation is included in the operators’ ‘Ten Commitments to Best Siting Practice’, which has existed since 2001 to help address concerns relating to the development of base stations, and which is now contained in planning guidance throughout the UK.
Sharing Sites
Mobile phone users in the UK increasingly want better coverage and greater capacity so they can access more services on their phones. While this means that new base stations will still be needed, network operators seek to share sites wherever possible. Site sharing helps reduce energy consumption and the overall environmental footprint of networks, as well as improving the quality of coverage.