HC Deb 24 January 2000 vol 343 cc124-5W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will revise planning and development control legislation to bring cable communications development within the ambit of regulations governing radio installations; and if he will make a statement; [105664]

(2) if he will make a statement on the height and bulk of cable telecommunications companies roadside cabinets which can be installed without planning consent; and if he will make a statement; [105522]

(3) what plans he has to introduce planning control requirements to empower local authorities to control the length, bulk and location of roadside cable telecommunication cabinets; and if he will make a statement. [105521]

Ms Beverley Hughes

Telecommunications operators are licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry under the Telecommunications Act 1984. These licensed telecommunications code system operators are authorised under Part 24 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO) to install specified telecommunications apparatus without the need to make a planning application to the local authority, ie they have permitted development rights.

Under the operator licensing arrangements, SI 1999 No. 2450 harmonises the conditions attached to operators' licences and came into force on 27 September 1999. These permit a maximum cabinet size of 1.8 m high by 2.0 m long by 0.8 m wide.

Under the GPDO, operators have permitted development rights for cabinets with a base area of up to 1.5 sq m. However, in areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Conservation Areas and the Broads and Sites of Special Scientific Interest the permitted development right is subject to a prior approval procedure. Under this procedure the local planning authority has the opportunity to say whether it wishes to approve, within 28-days, details of a cabinet's siting and appearance. It can refuse approval if it considers this justified.

In all cases, the installation of cabinets with a base size exceeding 1.5 sq m would need a full planning application to the local planning authority.

Currently we have no proposals to amend the provisions of Part 24 of the GPDO.