In the business world, telecommunications apparatus is erected for many different purposes by many different concerns. These include equipment for mobile phones, fixed radio access (FRA), data transfer, television, internet access, taxi radio and private telecommunications networks.

While accommodating the growth of telecommunications, the Council, however, should ensure that, where planning permission and/or listed building consent is required for any apparatus, that any adverse effect on the visual amenity of the building or the surrounding area is minimised. Public concern on health must be addressed in accordance with Central Government guidance.

REQUIREMENT FOR PLANNING PEMISSION AND LISTED BUILDING CONSENT

The law relating to telecommunications apparatus is complex and was comprehensively revised in mid-2001. The law in Scotland, relating to all telecommunications apparatus, is controlled by Classes 6, 67 and 68, of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 2001, as amended, and the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order, as amended. It should be noted that Scottish planning legislation in relation to telecommunications now differs significantly from that in England and Wales.

Code System Operators (Operators), defined as companies that have a telecommunications licence issued by the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, should note that, in 1994, the then Secretary of State for Scotland granted an Article 4 Direction withdrawing all permitted development rights in Class 67 from part of the City Centre. This area is mapped and can be viewed in policy HER1: Conservation Areas. Operators, therefore, have no permitted development rights within this area.

Listed Building Consent will be required for the erection on a listed building of any telecommunications apparatus that affects the character of the listed building i.e. cannot be effectively hidden from public view. Locations that may not require formal consent include: within a valley gutter; on a chimney stack not visible from the street; or behind a parapet wall.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING GUIDANCE 

Revised planning guidance was issued in mid 2001 and comprises the National Planning Policy Guideline 19: Radio Telecommunications (NPPG19) and Planning Advice Note 62: Radio Telecommunications (PAN62). Additional detailed guidance on the installation of telecommunications apparatus in historic areas is contained within Historic Scotland’s Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas (1998).

While this policy relates primarily to Operators, the principles and standards set out below will also apply to planning applications from other parties who propose to erect telecommunications apparatus.

The Council will determine all planning applications on the basis of their impact on the visual amenity, not only of the building or structure on which the apparatus is located, but also on the amenity of the surrounding streetscene or countryside.

Operators, in particular, will be expected to be familiar with NPPG 19 and PAN 62 and to follow the guidance contained within these documents.

To minimise the visual impact of apparatus on the environment, Operators are advised to follow the following guidance, set out in PAN 62, when planning or extending their networks, in respect of:

1. SMALL SCALE EQUIPMENT

This section relates to satellite dishes and microcell antennas erected by Operators to provide increased capacity in areas of high demand, and FRA antennas, a telephone technology not currently in use in Scotland.

On residential tenements the fact that the user is commercial should not override the requirements to maintain the visual amenity of adjacent residential properties. Equipment should, therefore, be located on inconspicuous parts of buildings, such as on the roof, rear wall/roof slope or attached to a chimneyhead.

Antennas for commercial properties on the ground floor of tenements, otherwise in residential use, should be located on the rear of the tenement roof or the rear wall, and not in the backcourt area where they would be a commercial intrusion into the residential areas of the property.

On wholly commercial properties, such as supermarket roofs, satellite dishes should be located back from the roof edge and as far as practicable from adjacent residential properties. Wherever practicable the dish should also be located where it is not visible from the main street frontage.

If Operators can demonstrate that equipment has to be located on the front elevations of buildings, then both the antenna, and cable connection, should be painted out to match the background unless otherwise agreed.

2. CONCEALING OR DISGUISING EQUIPMENT

Both base-stations and microcell antennas have the potential to be concealed from public view or disguised. Within Conservation Areas, other areas of environmental designation and on listed buildings, this is the Council’s preferred approach. Account should be taken of the architectural integrity of the property.

Small-scale equipment can be incorporated into street furniture, shop signs and other features of the streetscene. At higher levels, antennas can now be disguised within fake flagpoles, chimneypots and other building features.

When antennas are proposed for a rooftop, where there is no possibility of concealing apparatus behind features such as tank or lift houses, consideration should be given to the addition of fake features such as an extra storey, a tank house or parapet to contain or conceal from view all the apparatus.

3. MAST AND SITE SHARING

Wherever possible, Operators are encouraged to share masts, or sites such as rooftops, but it is appreciated that this can pose difficulties because of the loading capacity of the mast/rooftop, interference between signals and the differing requirements for coverage.

Mast Sharing

Mast sharing can often lead to an increase in height and bulk of the mast. While this is likely to be acceptable in industrial areas, shared masts can be much more visibly intrusive. Mast sharing is not likely to be acceptable within residential areas or adjacent to residential properties. Only where shared masts do not result in an increase in size are they likely to be acceptable in residential areas.

Site Sharing

In Glasgow, site sharing will usually apply to rooftops, as it is unlikely that, within the City, different Operators will choose to build masts side by side on the same site. If a rooftop already has apparatus belonging to one Operator, it is important that the second or subsequent set of equipment does not result in a random jumble on the rooftop. Each successive set of apparatus must be grouped logically with the existing apparatus to ensure a balanced composition on the rooftop.

4. INSTALLING ON EXISTING BUILDINGS OR OTHER STRUCTURES

Wherever possible, Operators are encouraged to locate on buildings or structures, such as electricity pylons, gasometers and water towers, rather than erecting free-standing masts. They should first investigate whether it is possible to incorporate the apparatus within fake features such as a tank house or flagpole. If the equipment is too bulky or numerous, then apparatus should be located back from the edge of the roof to minimise its visual impact, although it is appreciated that this could result in an increase in height in order to achieve line of sight.

If a rooftop is a lightweight construction and cannot take the loading of telecommunications equipment, permission may be granted for apparatus attached to, and ‘read’ against, the top of the walls of high buildings, but only where every piece of apparatus is painted out to match the background colour of the walls.

Any rooftop apparatus, which is visible from the surrounding area, will also be assessed against any impact it might have on more distant properties or important views, particularly within conservation areas and on, or near to, listed buildings. Permission is unlikely to be granted if rooftop apparatus would be seen against, and detract from, historic and architecturally renowned skylines.

5. ERECTING A NEW GROUND-BASED MAST

In order to limit the number of purpose-built masts, all applications for ground-based masts will require to be accompanied by evidence explaining why an existing building or mast cannot be used and setting out the problems which rule out these locations. The application may be refused if no explanation is received, or if there is no satisfactory reason for not using an existing building or mast.

Masts should preferably be located within the following Development Policy Principle designations (see maps), where any adverse effect on visual amenity is less likely to be problematic:

DEV 3: Industry and Business;

DEV 5: Commercial; and

DEV 13: Transport Infrastructure

If requirements for coverage necessitate a location within a residential area, masts, which should be monopoles rather than lattice masts, should be located in the least conspicuous site, preferably where they can be screened or read against trees, lighting columns etc. While the equipment cabins have to be close to the mast, they should not be located beneath the crown of mature trees, in circumstances where construction would prejudice the trees. All equipment should be finished in colours to match the background. Where read against sky or buildings, grey is appropriate, but if the mast is located beside trees or shrubbery, another colour would be more suitable and should be chosen according to particular site circumstances. Conditions may be applied to permissions stipulating the colour that apparatus should be painted.

If monopoles are proposed for a pavement, permission may not be granted if the pole and/or equipment cabin are judged to cause an obstruction.

6. LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS

The following will apply in conservation areas or on listed buildings, over and above the standards set out above.

Historic Scotland’s Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas (1998) provides detailed guidance to planning authorities on dealing with applications for telecommunications apparatus on listed buildings. It states that, as a general rule, transmitters should not be located on listed buildings and that any proposal to maximise performance at the expense of building or streetscape character should not be permitted.

The siting of telecommunications apparatus on a listed building or in a conservation area will only be considered acceptable where the apparatus will not be detrimental to the character or setting of a listed building or to the visual amenity of a conservation area. If it is proposed to locate apparatus on a listed building, applicants should submit evidence to show why an alternative, less sensitive location cannot be used. Apparatus should always be located in a manner which fully respects the architectural sense and detailing of the properties and should preferably be disguised or concealed from public view.

7. GREEN ENVIRONMENT

The following will apply in addition to the main standards set out above.

Applications for telecommunications equipment in areas covered by environmental designations (see maps) should be accompanied by written evidence to explain why existing buildings or masts or an alternative location in a less sensitive area cannot be used. If the principle of development is accepted, all apparatus should be sited and designed to minimise its visual impact on the landscape of the area.

8. REDUNDANT EQUIPMENT

Telecommunications systems change rapidly and the business sector is likely to replace apparatus frequently, as newer and more sophisticated systems become available. Operators are bound by the Telecommunications Act 1984, to remove obsolete equipment. In order to ensure that unnecessary equipment is removed from properties, a condition will be attached to all consents for telecommunications apparatus requiring unused apparatus to be removed within a month of it becoming unused, unless otherwise agreed.

This policy, where appropriate, should be read in conjunction with policy ENV 1: Development Related to the Green Belt