Telecoms mast on hilltop overlooking countryside

Planning and Telecoms Sites

Is a telecoms application impacting your property?
With planning rules for new masts relaxed, it is easier than ever for a site to proceed without proper consideration of how it sits on your land. We help you assess whether a proposal is properly sited and designed, and challenge it where necessary.

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Telecoms planning permission, sited and designed properly

Telecoms planning permission works differently to how it used to. Rules for telecoms infrastructure have relaxed significantly. In March 2022, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2022 changed permitted development rights for electronic communications infrastructure. The changes aim to help operators develop sites faster and support the Government’s target of nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and near-universal 4G and 5G coverage by 2030.

Most radio mast applications now bypass a full planning application entirely. Instead, operators apply for prior approval, and the Local Planning Authority reviews only the site’s siting and appearance. A full planning application is still needed if the development exceeds the permitted development limits.

Operators usually choose suitable locations for new masts or towers, but not always, often because they have not properly engaged with the landowner first. We check whether a proposed development is appropriately sited and designed, working with your planning advisors where needed, to keep the impact on your land and property to a minimum.

KEY CONTACTS

Tom Bodley Scott
MRICS FAAV
Tunbridge Wells

01892 509280

Email Tom

Robert Hepworth
MRICS
Tunbridge Wells

01892 502842
Email Rob

Common questions about telecoms planning

Not always. Since 2022, most radio mast applications go through a simpler prior approval process instead of a full planning application. The Local Planning Authority only reviews the siting and appearance of the proposal, not the principle of the development itself.

If the proposed development exceeds the limits set out in the General Permitted Development Order, a full planning application is needed rather than the simpler prior approval route.

Yes, though the grounds are narrower than under a full planning application. Since the Local Planning Authority only assesses siting and appearance under prior approval, objections need to focus on those specific points to have a genuine chance of success.

It’s often down to limited engagement with the landowner or nearby property owners before the proposal is submitted, rather than a lack of suitable alternatives. Early engagement, on either side, usually leads to a better-sited outcome.

Yes. We assess whether a proposal is properly sited and designed, and work with your planning advisors where needed to challenge it on the specific grounds available under the prior approval process.