Telecommunications

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4.1.17 The government aims to make the UK “the best place to do business electronically by 2002” and therefore proposes to continue to extend the social and economic benefits of modern technology and in particular affordable access to broadband services.

4.1.18 The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones reported in May 2000 (Stewart Report) that...

“... the balance of evidence indicates there is no general risk to the health of people living near base stations...”

and consequently the Scottish Executive has instructed local planning authorities that “it is not necessary.... to treat RF emissions as a material consideration”. Planning legislation and associated guidance (NPPG19) and advice (PAN62) are focussed on achieving a balance between the need to meet the growing demand from the community for access to the telecommunications network and the need to protect environmental amenity.

4.1.19 It is the Government’s hope that if good practice in location and design is pursued the installations will in time become an accepted and unobtrusive feature of urban and rural areas.

4.1.20 The Council’s policy should support the approach of both the UK government and the Scottish Executive towards meeting the growing community demand for telecommunications whilst avoiding adverse environmental impact on the amenity of urban and rural areas.

4.1.21 The policy also recognises the continuing community concerns regarding installations located near schools, nurseries and play areas, on residential property or at locations which adversely affect the amenity of residential areas. Applicants will therefore be encouraged to carry out community consultation within specified distances of these properties.

4.1.22 NPPG 19 and PAN 62 include extensive guidance and advice on good practice in location and design. The Council has produced Guidance Note 11 which incorporates these principles and builds upon this guidance and advice.

4.1.23 These principles and the guidance are expected to be incorporated in operators rollout plans, site selection enquiries, notifications, applications and will be applied in the Council’s assessments. Developers will be required to take particular care in designing proposals which have an impact on historic or natural environment designations (see also policy GB 2K).

DQ 4 Telecommunications Installations

The Council will work in close liaison with operators to facilitate the development of a comprehensive, modern local telecommunications infrastructure which minimises environmental impact to an acceptable level and takes into account community well-being concerns.

This will be achieved by assessing operators’ annual rollout plans, site selection enquiries and applications for planning permission (and notifications where the development does not require planning permission) against the following criteria:

a) Scale - the Council will encourage operators to consider a number of smaller installations rather than fewer larger ones,

b) Built form - the Council will encourage operators to develop installations on existing structures (where this does not result in visual clutter) in preference to free standing installations,

c) Location - the Council will encourage new telecommunication installations to be located in the preferred locations within urban areas, and lowlands and uplands countryside (as explained and justified in Guidance Note 11),

d) Layout - the Council will encourage operators to minimise the visual impact of telecommunication installations and will generally require appropriate landscaping for ground based equipment and compounds,

e) Detailed design - the Council will require operators to adhere to best available design practice as set out in Scottish Executive Advice,

f) Community well-being - the Council will encourage operators to engage with the community and address their expressed concerns,

g) Community gain, environmental improvement and site restoration:

i. The Council will place conditions on planning consents for telecommunications developments requiring the removal of equipment and the reinstatement of the site within 3 months of its becoming redundant or obsolete.

ii. The Council may seek an appropriate scale of contribution towards environmental improvement in the area if the proposal is seen to have an unavoidable impact on the environment and local amenity.

iii. The Council will take into account when assessing the impact of new proposals, the extent to which applicants are prepared to review existing (particularly any less well-designed or located) infrastructure installed under previous arrangements.

Further explanation and justification of the above criteria are contained in Guidance Note 11.