§ Mrs. BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to give local planning authorities greater powers to restrict the inappropriate siting of transmitter masts for mobile phone networks. [1527]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 grants a general planning permission for certain telecommunications masts providing
49Wthe mast is erected by a telecommunications code system operator licensed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under the Telecommunications Act 1984;the mast does not exceed 15 metres in height;the mast is not erected in a protected area such as National Park, area of outstanding natural beauty or conservation area; andthe mast is not refused prior approval by the local planning authority within the 28 day period specified in the Order. The authority must be given the opportunity to say whether they wish to approve, within 28 days, details of the mast's siting and appearance, and are able to refuse approval if they consider there to be a serious threat to amenity.Full planning permission is normally required for any mast which does not meet these criteria. In all cases the local authority had the opportunity to influence the siting of the mast.