guidance note 11

 

Telecommunications Developments

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INTRODUCTION

This Guidance Note should be read in conjunction with Local Plan Policy DQ 4F and sets out the main criteria that telecommunication proposals will be assessed against. NPPG 19 and PAN 62 include extensive guidance and advice on good practice in location and design. The Council’s principles of guidance adapt and build upon this guidance and advice. Although they are not repeated here, these principles are expected to be incorporated in operators rollout plans, site selection enquiries, notifications and 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 identified in the Local Plan.

 

GUIDANCE

 

a)   Scale

It is considered that large telecommunication base stations and massed antennas generally have the potential for far greater environmental and community impact than a greater number of smaller, normally lower wattage, installations spread over a wider area. This is particularly the case in urban areas. Base stations which have the outward appearance of the surrounding street lighting columns (in scale, location, colour and local design) will generally have a more acceptable visual impact than larger structures in residential areas. It is however accepted that a system based on smaller lower wattage base stations may have a more restricted locational choice. This preference for smaller units is also subject to the requirement to address concerns raised in the areas of sensitivity identified in section f ) below.

The Council will encourage operators to develop networks which rely on base stations with the minimum visual impact, particularly in urban areas. This may require a number of smaller installations rather than fewer larger ones.

Where the operator can demonstrate that a large installation is unavoidable such a development will be considered. The Council will not however generally support the development of additional apparatus in the vicinity of an existing structure where there is physical potential for mast sharing. Independent advice may be sought by the Council in this matter.

Where substantial base station structures have been demonstrated to be required the Council will wish to see evidence that opportunities both to share existing sites and masts have been fully exploited and that the potential for future sharing arrangements is maximised in the design of the proposed new installation.

 

b)   Built form

Free standing installations (towers and poles) generally have a greater environmental and community impact than those mounted on existing buildings and other structures such as existing masts. In general therefore new installations on buildings are preferable to the erection of free standing masts. Historically however some taller buildings, such as water towers, have been very attractive sites for telecommunications infrastructure, to the extent that they have become festooned with various types of antennas. Where a number of existing antennas or related equipment are already present on a building, the Council may therefore take the view that further proliferation would have a significant adverse visual impact and resist additional proposals.

The Council will encourage operators to develop networks of installation on existing structures (where this does not result in visual clutter) in preference to free standing installations.

 

c)   Location

Where new telecommunication installations offer the only option, their environmental and community impact can be considerably reduced by selecting an appropriate location. Many types of installation are difficult to fit into urban and particularly residential environments and could be more appropriate to industrial or business areas, commercial or other non-residential buildings (especially in town centres) in an urban environment or larger urban open spaces such as golf courses (which allow room for landscape screening). The suitability of these locations would also be subject to the provisions of Section f) below. Although many of the more attractive rural areas, especially the Regional Scenic Areas of Campsie Fells and Kilpatrick Hills, are as unsuited as residential areas to accommodating unsympathetically designed installations, some areas of countryside must offer more scope to absorb these developments than urban areas. The visual impact of large free standing installations can for example be minimised by locating them in quarries or woodlands (subject to amenity considerations) or associating them with industrial or institutional establishments or substantial farm buildings. Even more than in urban areas however care will need to be taken to avoid prominent skyline locations especially when seen from established view points. Operators should avoid adverse impact on locally important environmental resources defined on the Council’s databases including listed buildings, ancient monuments, sites of importance for nature conservation, important wildlife corridors, Regional Scenic Areas and on the landscape quality of the greenbelt as described in the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Landscape Character Assessment.

Where new telecommunication installations have been demonstrated to be necessary the Council will encourage these to be located

 (i) in urban areas

• in industrial and business area

• on industrial and business land supply (where this does not constrain future                  development opportunities)

• on large, free standing commercial or non-residential buildings

• in open spaces (where appropriate screening can be accommodated)

 (ii) in lowland countryside 

• in quarries,

• associated with industrial or institutional establishments

• associated with substantial farm buildings

• in woodlands (subject to amenity considerations)

• associated with substantial farm buildings

 

d)   Layout

Much of the adverse visual impact of telecommunications infrastructure arises as a result of the “clutter” associated with such development. The community is generally more prepared to accept proposals with clean lines (such as poles, rather than open lattice masts), although it is acknowledged that some designs of pole may be less suitable for sharing than masts. Associated equipment should also be minimised or contained within existing structures. Where telecommunications development requires additional cabling (for example a new electricity line, or new telegraph pole for a telephone connection) information should be supplied at the pre-application stage and shown on the plans for planning applications. Fencing or other security arrangements are often necessary in the interests of community safety or to protect equipment. This will, however, require to be agreed to the Council’s satisfaction before development can commence. In appropriate circumstances the provision for landscaping to the Council’s satisfaction should be incorporated in proposals in order to address the impact of fencing and other clutter around the base of the mast. The landscaping arrangements should include a densely planted minimum 2 metre wide strip surrounding the compound.

In order to reduce visual impact where possible all cabling should be underground, the equipment should not be illuminated and no logos or advertising lettering should appear on any of the equipment or associated fencing.

The Council will encourage operators to minimise the “cluttered” visual effect of their installations by for example using poles instead of open lattice structure, where possible undergrounding all associated cables and avoiding the use of palisade or other discordant security fence structures. A preferred method of minimising the impact of associated equipment is for it to be enclosed within an existing structure or in a newly built structure which (in its design and materials) reflects surrounding buildings, or by the use of landscaping to screen compound fencing. Innovative techniques to reduce the impact of equipment will also be encouraged.

 

e)  Detailed design

If a satisfactory location can be agreed, it is considered that much of the residual potential for adverse community or environmental impact can be addressed by appropriate orientation, colour and finish (including camouflage). This may be particularly important in cases which could affect Conservation Areas (and other local designations), listed buildings or designed landscapes. Where planting is proposed to conceal elements of the installation, maintenance arrangements require to be agreed to the Council’s satisfaction.

The Council will require operators to adhere to best available design practice as set out in PAN 62 and any emerging opportunities to reduce adverse impact.

 

Speculative applications for masts or poles which give insufficient indication of the type, number or scale of devices to be attached are not commonly received but can be difficult to properly assess and, in the interest of community well-being and transparency of the process, will not be encouraged.

The Council will generally be reluctant to give consent for speculative proposals for telecommunication apparatus until full details of the development are available.

 

f)   Community well-being

Although direct health implications of proposals for telecommunications installations (which are accompanied by an ICNIRP certificate)[1]  are not a material planning consideration, the indirect impact on community well-being arising from telecommunications proposals can however be considerable. Recent experiences have indicated that telecommunication installations which are on residential buildings or property or have significant impact on the visual amenity of residential properties can be a source of community concern. Applicants with proposals in such locations will be encouraged to provide documentation to indicate how community concerns have been identified and addressed.

Applicants will be encouraged to engage with either residents or parents groups as appropriate in order to address their expressed concerns in relation to developments which are:-

a. on residential property,

b. located and designed in such a way that they have a significant visual impact                            on the amenity of residential properties, or

c. within 250 metres of schools, nurseries or equipped play areas.

Applicants for planning permission are required to formally notify adjoining property owners and occupiers under Article 9 of the General Development Procedure (Scotland) Order 1992. However, with telecommunication developments this may only involve a very limited number of members of the community.

Given however the current level of community interest in such development it is important that proposals are widely publicised in order to ensure that the wider community has ample opportunities to express views.  Major telecommunication proposals which are perceived to have an adverse effect on the character of an area of established amenity (for example new masts near residential properties or that introduces significant change into homogenous areas are classed as “bad neighbour” developments and will require to be advertised in the local press under Schedule 7 of the General Development Procedure (Scotland) Order 1992.  The majority of telecommunications proposals do not however fall into this category but in recognition of the widespread community interest the Council will (in addition to placing a notice in the “weekly list”), for the time being, advertise all telecommunications applications in the press.

 

g)  Community gain, environmental improvement and site restoration              

In the interests of local amenity it is important that, in a rapidly developing sector, provision is made for site restoration should the installation  become redundant (in whole or part including any access track or other aspects required for the construction process). This will apply to ground based and building mounted equipment.

The Council will place conditions on planning consents for telecommunications developments requiring the removal of equipment (and any associated cabling, fixing or ancillary items) and  the reinstatement of the site (including all evidence of the development, ranging from for example fixing holes on buildings to access tracks to base stations in rural locations) within 3 months of its becoming redundant or obsolete.

 

In particular circumstances development of telecommunications installation can be considered to have a damaging impact on the environment or local amenity, e.g. through the loss of open space or biodiversity, or the diversion of a footpath. This can not always be satisfactorily mitigated through the use of planning conditions and therefore, the Council may seek a compensatory “gain” on behalf of the community through the use of a planning agreement. For example, adverse visual impacts could be balanced with compensatory local improvements through the creation of footpaths nearby in accordance with the Council’s Access Strategy, or habitat creation/improvement at or near sites of importance for nature conservation, or other local environment improvements.

Where it is considered that despite the application of good practice in siting and design, the proposal will cause a loss of amenity, the Council may seek an appropriate scale of contribution towards environmental improvement in the area.

 

In assessing proposals for new base stations it is proper to consider how the environmental impact of inherited hardware can be ameliorated. Opportunities may arise to merge or replace older base stations with smaller, better designed and located installations.

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.

 

h)  Procedures

Operators will be expected to take every available opportunity to engage with the Council and the Community (as recommended in PAN62) when preparing their “roll out plans” and assessing site options prior to submitting a planning application. Unless this has taken place it may be more difficult to efficiently process applications.

The Council will expect to be consulted and for its concerns to be accommodated at the “draft roll out plan” stage and when siting options are being considered.

 

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact :

 

The Planning Office, Development Quality Section,

The Triangle,

Kirkintilloch Road,

Bishopbriggs G64 2TR

Tel: 0141 578 8000

 

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[1] The Council will ensure that the ICNIRP certification is valid and complete, accurate and specific to the proposal.  Independent advice may be sought on this matter and applications which are not accompanied by the appropriate certification will not be validated for processing.