To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the procedure for approving applications for mobile phone masts. [118993]
Current planning guidance on telecommunications is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 (revised). The installation of any telecommunications mast in designated area such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and of a mast of more than 15 metres in height elsewhere, is subject to a full planning application. The local planning authority (or the Secretary of State on appeal) in the light of development plan policies and any other material considerations, including any relevant representations either for or against the proposal, will decide any such application.The Department of Trade and Industry under the Telecommunications Act 1984 license telecommunications operators. Outside the designated areas mentioned above, licensed telecommunications code system operators are authorised under 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. Certain types of development however, such as the installation of ground-based masts of up to 15 metres in height, are subject to a prior approval procedure. Prior approval procedures allow the local planning authority the opportunity to say whether it wishes to approve details of the siting and appearance of the installation. If the authority considers that the development will pose a serious threat to amenity, it is able to refuse approval.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals against decisions to grant mobile phone masts have been allowed in England in each of the last five years. [118994]
The Information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Therefore, the following information relates to appeal decisions about telecommunications development generally.
| Appeals received | Appeals allowed | Appeals dismissed | Appeals withdrawn | |
| 1998 | 146 | 67 | 64 | 15 |
| 1999 | 147 | 85 | 52 | 10 |
| 2000 | 325 | 191 | 108 | 26 |
| 2001 | 621 | 379 | 194 | 44 |
| 2002 | 871 | 494 | 293 | 65 |
| January to May 2003 | 209 | 27 | 14 | 8 |
Note:
All figures relate to the year in which the appeal was received, not necessarily the year it was decided.
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to amend the planning system to require sharing of telecommunications masts. [119599]
The Code of Best Practice on Mobile Network Development was published on 11 November 2002. This firmly encourages mast and site sharing where that is the optimum solution in the individual circumstances. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to amend further the planning arrangements for telecommunications development at the present time.