Planning Advice and Guidance

What is it?

The sections below deal with the procedure for planning applications, prior notifications for telecommunication masts, and formal pre-application advice. 

If correspondence relates to anything else, including informal notification of works which benefit from permitted development rights, the correspondence should make this clear and also include a location plan so that the location of the proposed works can be clearly identified.

The City Development Plan contains policy relating to the location and design of telecommunications equipment and this can be found here.

All reference to Class 67 below refers to Class 67 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 as amended by The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2017.

Pre-application Request

Where planning permission is required but the operator would like a view from the planning authority prior to submission, then this would be done through submitting a Pre-Application Form which automatically gets logged as a pre-application request on our system and allocated a case number and an officer.

Documents required:

• Location Plan.
• Drawings as Existing and as Proposed - elevations and plans.
• Site Plan showing where the different elements are - e.g. the whole of the rooftop, or the wider site if a ground based mast or cabinet.

Notification under Permitted Development Class 67(1)

Please note all documents should be sent electronically to our Online Planning Email.

Documents required:

• Location plan.
• Drawings as existing and as proposed (these can be on same drawing as long as clearly shown e.g. in different colour) - elevations and plans.
• In order to comply with 67(15): Covering email or letter attachment with address of site as well as your reference number, including a summary of what works are proposed and why you think they are permitted development (quote the part of Class 67- e.g. if in Conservation Area state which part of the exemptions in 67(2) it falls within; or if out with Conservation areas etc. quote which paragraph of Class 67 applies.
• ICNRP Certificate.

Notification under 67(23) for a Ground Based Mast

This needs a Prior Notification Application to the planning authority as to whether the Prior Approval is required. We have called these "Prior Notification Telecoms" or PNT applications. These applications should be made through the Scottish Government ePlanning Portal.

Documents required under 67(23)(c)

• Name/address of developer and agent.
• Postal address of land and location plan - location showing enough context and street names that we can identify it.
• Drawings as existing and proposed: elevations, plans and also site plan (making it clear where the site plan is in relation to location plan). Please note any existing masts in the vicinity and state whether they are being retained or removed (show on the plans).
• ICNIRP declaration.
• Ownership certificate.
• A statement as to why this site has been chosen (site selection process) is also helpful and may avoid further discussions.

Planning Applications for Development which is not Permitted Development

Some masts and telecommunications equipment may not be permitted development and will need a full planning application instead of a Prior Notification. This includes masts which are replacement masts and more than 6m from the location of the original mast.

These applications should be made through the ePlanning Portal and include all the plans and details as shown above in 2. Please note that if the site is within the Central Conservation Area all Class 67 Permitted Development rights are removed and all apparatus needs planning permission.

You can check if the site is within the CCA here, then click on SG9 Historic Environment and you can enter the address or zoom from the overall City map.