The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport have published
a technical consultation on proposed amendments to the General
Permitted Development Order for electronic communications
development, to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile
coverage.
This consultation closes at
11:45pm on 14 June 2021
Consultation description
This consultation seeks views on proposed planning reforms that
will allow the deployment of telecoms equipment to be quicker
whilst ensuring that there are appropriate environmental
protections and safeguards in place. Proposals we are consulting
on include:
- enabling the deployment of radio equipment housing up to
specified limits and allowing greater flexibility for installing
equipment cabinets in existing compounds to support 5G deployment
and incentivise the use of existing sites for site sharing
- strengthening existing masts by permitting alteration or
replacement and increases in width and height up to specified
limits to enable sites to be upgraded for 5G and for mast sharing
- enabling the deployment of building-based masts up to
specified limits, including masts located nearer to highways, to
support deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage, subject to
prior approval and specified limits
- enabling higher new masts to deliver better mobile coverage
and mast sharing, subject to specified limits
Changes to the safeguarding procedure and technical changes to
the definition of ‘small cell system’ are also proposed.
This technical consultation follows an earlier consultation
on the principle of these proposed reforms.
Documents
Changes to permitted
development rights for electronic communications infrastructure:
technical consultation
