Telecommunications and satellite dishes

Planning permission may be needed for the installation of satellite dishes and telecommunications equipment.

View Sefton's telecoms masts on Simon interactive maps

Telecommunications

Mobile phone operators and others wanting to install telecommunications masts or other equipment should contact us.

Only masts over 15 metres in height need, or within a Conservation Area, need full planning permission. Masts of 15 metres in height or less need a Prior Approval application. Prior Approval applications can only consider the siting and appearance of the development; the principle of the development cannot be a consideration as the development is permitted development.

Any perceived risk to health is a consideration to be taken into account in determining applications. However, central Government has directed us that where the applicant states that the emission levels are within the guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protocol (ICNIRP), then it is not for us to consider these matters further (Paragraph 30 of Planning Policy Guidance Note 8: Telecommunications -Ext). A leaflet on this subject is published by the Department of Health.

You can get further information on these matters from Ofcom. The Ofcom website also has an interactive map showing the masts that have been constructed all over the country. Ofcom are also responsible for answering your queries on measuring emission levels from telecommunications equipment and concerns over interference, for example, with television sets.

Satellite Dishes

You may need planning permission to erect a satellite dish on your home, depending on the size of the dish and its position on the building. The Planning Portal lets you indicate where on the house you want to erect the dish and whether or not this will need consent.


Last Updated on Tuesday, April 5, 2022

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