§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the effects of the recent high court judgement concerning the issue of health and mobile phone mast planning applications. [136825]
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§ Keith HillThe judgment by Mr. Justice Richards on 22 October in the case of "Phillips v The First Secretary of State and others" was about the compliance with the procedural requirements in the planning appeal process and was confined to its own facts. It does not have any wider ramifications.
The judgment reflects Planning Policy Guidance Note 8: Telecommunications that it is for the decision-maker to decide whether health concerns are a material consideration and what weight to place on them.
Nevertheless, PPG8 states that, in the Government's view, if a proposed mobile phone base station meets the international guidelines for public exposure (the ICNIRP guidelines) it should not be necessary for a local planning authority, in processing an application, to give further consideration to the health aspects and any concerns about them. It remains the Government's firm view that the planning system is not the appropriate mechanism for determining health safeguards.