Telecommunications
Telecommunications Development in Malvern Hills
District
Malvern Hills District Council is the local planning authority
(LPA) responsible for making decisions on the siting and design of
telecommunications equipment in the District. We are keen to
encourage a joint working approach to telecommunications
development, to involve everyone in a process that ultimately
raises the level of consensus about the type and location of
telecommunications equipment. We aim to ensure that the maximum
amount of information about the possible location of
telecommunications equipment is made available to the public and
debated as soon as is practicable.
These pages provide information on current telecommunications
installations within the District and operators' roll-out plans for
the coming year. It also provides information on local and national
telecommunications policies.
Local and National Planning Policy for
Telecommunications
In determining all applications for telecommunications
installations, the District Council is required to consider its
decisions in the light of site-specific issues, such as siting,
design, effect on the street scene and highway safety. The District
Council is also required to make its decisions in accordance with
nationally established policy and the specific telecommunications
policy in the Malvern Hills District Local Plan (Policy QL6).
National Policy
National planning policy is included in
Planning Policy Guidance No. 8. which gives guidance on
planning for telecommunications development - including radio masts
and towers, antennas of all kinds, radio equipment housing, public
call boxes, cabinets, poles and overhead wires. It was published in
August 2001. For many people there is concern about the health
implications of telecommunications installations. There is clearly
a scientific debate about this point, which planning officers and
members responsible for telecommunications applications need to be
aware of but it is important to note that consideration of health
issues need to be in accordance with paragraphs 29 to 31 of
PPG8:
Health Considerations
29. Health considerations and public concern
can in principle be material considerations in determining
applications for planning permission and prior approval. Whether
such matters are material in a particular case is ultimately a
matter for the courts. It is for the decision-maker (usually the
local planning authority) to determine what weight to attach to
such considerations in any particular case.
30. However, it is the Government's firm view
that the planning system is not the place for determining health
safeguards. It remains central Government's responsibility to
decide what measures are necessary to protect public health. In the
Government's view, if a proposed mobile phone base station meets
the ICNIRP guidelines for public exposure it should not be
necessary for a local planning authority, in processing an
application for planning permission or prior approval, to consider
further the health aspects and concerns about them.
31. The Government's acceptance of the
precautionary approach recommended by the Stewart Group's report is
published in the Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network
Development "
Code of Best Practice " is limited to the specific
recommendations in the Group's report and the Government's response
to them. The report does not provide any basis for precautionary
actions beyond those already proposed. In the Government's view,
local planning authorities should not implement their own
precautionary policies e.g. by way of imposing a ban or moratorium
on new telecommunications development or insisting on minimum
distances between new telecommunications development and existing
development.
Local Policy
The Worcestershire County Structure Plan and the Malvern
Hills District Local Plan (saved policies) are the two local
documents that form the Development Plan. Both have policies
regarding telecommunications installations. The Structure Plan
gives a broad outline of policy objectives in its policy D.44:
Development proposals for telecommunications systems should
normally be allowed where they satisfy the requirements of other
policies in the Structure Plan.
Consideration should be given in the first instance to the
opportunity for using existing structures and all applications for
new structures will be required to demonstrate why the use of
existing structures or buildings, including sharing existing masts,
cannot satisfy their requirements. In all cases installations
should be removed when no longer required.
The following Development Plans and material considerations are
relevant to how a decision is made on telecommunication
developments.
The Local Plan has the following policy regarding
telecommunications installations:
POLICY QL6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Applications for planning permission for telecommunications
development and for prior approval determinations should, in all
appropriate cases:-
a) demonstrate how the development fits into the wider network;
and
b) make use of existing buildings or telecommunications
structures wherever possible unless it can be demonstrated that it
is not technically practical or possible to do so, whilst having
regard to the cumulative effect of mast or site sharing; and
c) be sited, coloured and designed so as to minimise any visual
impact on the street scene, the appearance or setting of a building
(including the building on which it is installed) and on the
environment generally, particularly Conservation Areas, the Malvern
Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Area of Great
Landscape Value, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Scheduled
Ancient Monuments and Registered Parks and Gardens. Regard will be
paid to the potentially visually damaging effects of a
conglomeration of telecommunications equipment installed on a
single building or site; and
d) include, wherever possible, practical and appropriate the
provision of landscaping; and
e) where appropriate include additional structural capacity to
take into account the growing demands for network development;
and
f) ensure necessary protection of public health by demonstrating
that the infrastructure meets ICNIRP guidelines for safe emissions;
and
g) provide an undertaking that all structures will be removed
and the site restored to a standard deemed acceptable by the
District Council in cases where the facility becomes
inoperable.
Guide to Telecommunications Application
Types
In undertaking installations the telecommunications operators
have to comply with the requirements of Part 24 of the Town and
Country Planning General Permitted Development Order which
establishes whether a proposal requires full planning permission,
"prior approval" or is permitted development.
Licence notifications
Where the installation of telecommunications apparatus are
classed as Permitted Development, a planning application is not
required, and no consultation is carried out by the District
Council. However, under other statutory requirements, operators do
have to give the District Council 28 days notice of their intention
to install such equipment, and allow comment. However, the District
Council has no control over this type of development. This includes
alteration and maintenance of existing antennas adding antennas to
existing roof top installations, and other, minor developments.
Applications for Notification of Prior
Approval
These notifications have to be determined within 56 days of
receipt. If the District Council does not respond within 56 days
the operator has the right to install the apparatus irrespective of
the Council's views on the proposal. When dealing with these
notifications, the District Council is only able to consider the siting and appearance
of the installation, and not the principle of the
development, or any other related issues, as this has already been
agreed by legislation. We have undertaken to consult widely with
neighbours and elected representatives in the area on such
applications. These types of developments include new rooftop
installations, and masts under 15m in height.
Applications for full planning permission
These applications are dealt with in the same way as other
planning applications, and all material considerations can be
considered. This includes masts over 15m in height, and larger
installations such as large ancillary equipment cabinets.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q
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What is a base station?
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A
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Radio base stations enable mobile phones to work. Base stations
receive signals from mobiles - which are low-powered two-way radios
- and transmit them to other mobile or fixed networks. Commonly
called 'masts', their antennas can be attached to a freestanding
mast or existing structures such as roof tops or water towers.
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Why do we need them?
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A
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Without base stations, calls cannot be made. If base stations
are too far away from each other, holes in coverage appear and
calls are interrupted 'or dropped' when mobile users are on the
move.
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Q
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How many are there and will this number
increase?
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A
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There are currently about 47,000 base station sites in the UK,
with two thirds of these on existing buildings or structures. To
keep up with the massive growth in mobile phone use and the
introduction of advanced third generation (3G) services, (there are
over 65 million mobile phone subscriptions in the UK, compared to 9
million a few years ago),
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Why do we need more?
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Radio waves only travel a certain distance and base stations can
only carry a limited number of calls at the one time. To meet
increasingly high demand in busy areas, more base stations are
needed.
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Q
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Why do they have to be outside my house?
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A
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Base stations are built where customers need coverage. They are
usually placed about 200-500m apart in towns and 2-5km apart in
rural areas, but operators do all they can to ensure they are
sensitively placed. Under new siting procedures called "The Ten
Commitments", operators have put in place procedures to consult
local planners and local communities before a planning application
is lodged.
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Q
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Why can't you share the mast down the road?
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A
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Operators share masts whenever they can, but this is not always
possible. Site sharing means more than one antenna is on a mast,
making it taller and more visually intrusive. In some cases, the
community and local planners may prefer several smaller masts
rather than one large one. Also, different radio frequencies used
by separate operators may interfere with each other and prevent
site sharing.
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Why can't base stations be more attractive?
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Where possible, operators try to prevent masts from blotting the
landscape. Slim line versions with a smaller head frames are being
introduced. They can be painted to blend in with their
surroundings, disguised as trees or placed on street lamps. Base
station antennas can also be put on structures like roof tops, high
voltage electricity pylons or large radio communication masts.
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Why are antennas hidden behind street signs, shop fronts
etc?
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A
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Microcells - tiny radio base station antennas - help operators
meet high customer demand in busy areas. They are usually mounted
at street level on external walls, lamp posts or neon shop signs
and can often be disguised as building features. Microcells are
typically about 300m-1km apart and have lower radio wave outputs
than larger base stations.
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What can I do if I don't like where a base station is
going to be built?
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Your first point of call should be the local planning authority,
which represents the local community and is kept up to date about
mast development by network operators. On top of this, each
operator has pledged to respond to enquiries and complaints about
radio base stations within 10 working days. Contact numbers for
operators are:
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O2: 01753 564 390
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T-mobile: 0870 321 6047
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Orange: 0800 783 5021
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Vodafone: 0163 567 7706
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3: 0845 604 300
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Who do the operators consult when planning a new base
station?
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It depends on the type of development. The operators want to
strike a proper balance between access to popular mobile services
in the UK and the need to be environmentally and socially
responsible when building the networks that support them. To this
end, clear procedures are in place for consulting the public,
community groups, schools, parish councils or local planning
authorities about proposed mobile base station sites.
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Is living near a base station bad for my
health?
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In December 2003, the NRPB's Independent Advisory Group on
Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published a report that concluded
that exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations
are extremely low, and the overall evidence indicates that they are
unlikely to pose a risk to health. Similarly, the World Health
Organisation in its 'Base stations and wireless technologies' fact
sheet issued in May 2006, concludes that: "Considering the very low
exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no
convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base
stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects." The
full text of the fact sheet is available here.
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What about cancer clusters being reported near base
stations?
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Media or anecdotal reports of cancer clusters around mobile
phone base stations have heightened public concern. The World
Health Organisation in its 'Base stations and wireless
technologies' fact sheet issued in May 2006, state that: "It should
be noted that geographically, cancers are unevenly distributed
among any population. Given the widespread presence of base
stations in the environment, it is expected that possible cancer
clusters will occur near base stations merely by chance. Moreover,
the reported cancers in these clusters are often a collection of
different types of cancer with no common characteristics and hence
unlikely to have a common cause."
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Then why is more research being conducted?
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Although concluding that mobile phones and base stations do not
adversely effect human health, the Stewart Report called for a
precautionary approach until gaps in scientific knowledge are
filled. The operators backed this call and are now funding half of
a three-year £7.4 million independent research programme into
mobile phones and health.
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Who monitors the levels of radio frequency emissions
from base stations?
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The Office of
Communications – Ofcom, (previously the Radiocommunications Agency)
since December 2000 has been conducting random audits in the UK to
confirm that radio frequency emissions from mobile phone base
stations comply with public exposure guidelines, which are set by
the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP).
These audits are ongoing. So far, the surveys of base stations have
shown than even maximum levels of exposure are tiny fractions of
the guidelines. More information can be found on the Ofcom website .
The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now part of
the Health Protection Agency (HPA), has also carried out some
measurement surveys of radio frequency emissions in the vicinity of
mobile phone base stations and other transmitters. More information
can be found on the HPA website
The Commission for Communications Regulation (Comreg) is the
licensing authority for the use of the radio frequency spectrum in
Ireland and it also has an on-going programme of base station
audits. Similar results have been found to those of Ofcom. More
information can be found on the
Comreg website.
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What is 3G technology?
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Third Generation (3G) is a term used to describe the next
generation of mobile phone systems. The advanced technology
includes internet access and the ability to view video footage. 2G,
also known as GSM, is the current second generation technology. For
further information see
3G Fact Sheet. For an in-depth technical briefing on how
General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) and Wideband Code Division
Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems work, please see the
MOA's report.
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If more than one operator is sharing or is co-located on
a site/mast, are the emission levels increased?
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Generally, yes, but not by very much. A shared site is likely to
have higher emission levels than a single operator site, although
each operator might be transmitting at different power levels,
different frequencies and different antenna heights and directions.
Shared sites are checked and certified for compliance with the
international health and safety public exposure guidelines (ICNIRP)
and the resulting emission levels will still be many times below
them.
Since 2000, Ofcom has undertaken more than 500 random audits of
base station emissions; some of these sites were shared or
co-located. The measurements from these audits show that emission
levels from base stations are typically small fractions of the
international health and safety public exposure guidelines
(ICNIRP).
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Q
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When new 3G antennas are added to an existing base
station site/mast, will the emissions increase?
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As with a shared site, the emissions will increase slightly but
the resultant levels will still be a small fraction of the ICNIRP
health and safety public exposure guidelines. As an example, a
recent site adapted for 3G by an operator went from being 830 times
below the guidelines to 770 times below
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What about the cumulative emissions from base stations
that are closely distributed, for example a number of operators put
up antennas on the floodlight pylons of a sports club?
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All co-located sites, including closely distributed masts, are
included within the process used by the network operators to ensure
compliance with the international health and safety public exposure
guidelines (ICNIRP). As a result of radiowaves decreasing rapidly
with distance, (as an approximation, each doubling of distance
reduces the field by a quarter), antenna structures can be within a
few metres of each other and areas where the public can gain free
and reasonable access will still remain well below the ICNIRP
health and safety public exposure guidelines.
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Q
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How can the operators be so sure that shared sites and
co-locations are compliant with the ICNIRP health and safety public
exposure guidelines?
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The network operators design safety zones around the antennas at
shared base station sites assuming worst-case conditions, i.e.
maximum power levels. In practice, the cumulative power levels are
a lot less due to a number of factors including the orientation and
height of the antennas and variations in different operators'
mobile phone traffic levels at any given time.
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If I still have concerns regarding the cumulative
emission levels from a co-located or shared site what can I
do?
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Ofcom has been auditing radiowave emission levels from base
station sites since 2000 and if approached, will consider carrying
out a measurement audit of the emissions from a base station site.
A request can be made to Ofcom via their website here.
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Malvern Hills District Council telecommunications
applications register
This document is a register of all telecommunications related
planning applications, including those from the mobile telephone
network operators as licensed by the Government.
It is intended as an aid, in order to gain an overall picture of
the telecommunications development which has been allowed within
the District, in line with the principles contained in PPG8.
Having recently introduced a new back-office computer system for
dealing with all Planning Applications, the District council is
developing this in electronic format and is aiming to make this
available by the end of the year 2010. The information will be as
correct and up to date as possible, however the District Council
would always advise those interested in telecommunications
development to contact the mobile network operators direct to
discuss their concerns. The District Council does not accept any
responsibility for the use of this information out of context.
When this information is available electronically, for further
details of any applications listed, note the reference number and
use the planning applications search facility on the web-site to
gain further details of the application.
Roll out map
Every Autumn, the five commercial mobile telephone operators
provide the Local Planning Authority (LPA) with information showing
the areas within the District where they have a need to site
further telecommunications equipment within the coming year. This
information is made available in order that communities and elected
members can be involved with discussions regarding siting and
design of equipment with operators prior to the submission of
applications to the LPA. It should be noted that the maps indicate
areas of search for new sites, and not specific locations, and thus
the precise sitting of equipment can be influenced at an early
stage in the site identification process.
For further details regarding each search area, the operators
concerned should be contacted directly, and their details are
provided on the maps.
Mast or site sharing has long been identified as the best way to
avoid the unnecessary proliferation of radio masts. Condition
3 (4) of the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and
Restrictions) regulations 2003 states: -
"A code operator, where practicable, shall share the use of
electronic communications apparatus".
To assist code operators and others that may be interested in
telecommunications development in the District, a site finder
facility (available from arqiva who owns and operates the UK
terrestrial broadcast radio and television networks who manages
around 16,000 sites across the country including BT Telephone
Exchanges, most T Mobile mast sites, National Broadcast
infrastructure sites, Pylons and Gas sites owned by National Grid
and other Utility Companies) is available at http://sitefinder.arqiva.com/ArqivaSiteFinder
Please note however that not all telecommunications sites within
the District are managed by arqiva so you may still wish to contact
the District council's Planning Services for advice on sites
available for sharing.
Contacts
District Council
Queries relating to
permitted development/planning applications:
Duncan Rudge - Development Control Manager tel: 01684
862318
email: development.control@malvernhills.gov.uk
Queries relating to policies:
Rosie Murray – Senior Planning Officer tel: 01684 862354
Email: dev.plans@malvernhills.gov.uk
Government departments and industry
groups
Department of Health (DoH) leaflet on mobile phones and base
stations:
Department
of Health Information leaflets and research strategy on mobile
phones
Communities and Local Government website on planning:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/
Office of Communications (OFCOM) which has taken over from the
Radio Communications Agency, for scientific information and base
station audit results: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
All Party Parliamentary Mobile Group:
http://www.apcomms.org.uk/
Mobile Operators Association (MOA) is the industry umbrella
group representing operators
Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EE
tel: 0207 331 2015 or 0207 331 2047
http://www.mobilemastinfo.com/
National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), the government's
statutory advisers on radiological protection matters
tel: 01235 831600
http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/
Federation of the Electronics Industry
tel: 0207 331 2000 or 0207 331 2015 or 0207 331 2029
Campaign groups
Mast Action UK (MAUK)
Mast Action UK (MAUK), PO Box 312, Hertfordshire, EN7 5ZE
http://www.mastaction.co.uk/
Campaign for Planning Sanity
97 Spa Crescent, Little Hulton, Greater Manchester, M38 9TU
tel: 0161 278 3355
email: info@planningsanity.co.uk
web: http://www.planningsanity.co.uk/
Mast Sanity
tel: 08704 322377
email: webmaster@mastsanity.org
web: http://www.mastsanity.org/
Powerwatch
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/
Telecommunications operators
Andrew Tildesley, 3
Birmingham Business
Park, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham B37 7YN.
andrew.tildesley@three.co.uk
Phone: 0121 788 5734
Angela Johnson, O2
c/o home address: 73
High Street, Church Stretton SY6 6BY
Phone: 01759 274118
Gordon Simmons, T-Mobile
Hatfield Business
Park, Building 4, Hatfield AL10 7BW
Gordon.Simmons@t-mobile.co.uk
Phone: 020 8214 5018
John Carwardine, T-Mobile
Hatfield
Business Park, Building 4, Hatfield AL10 7BW
john.cardwardinwe@t-mobile.co.uk
Jon Chown, T-Mobile
jon.chown@t-mobile.co.uk
