Minister for Infrastructure, David Cretney has announced his intention to seek Tynwald approval for the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development)(Telecommunications) Order 2012. 

He said today “previously, Prior Approval applications for mobile telephone masts were not subject to consultation process or rights to appeal. The Department has now undertaken a review of the permitted development rights for telecommunications and this new order is a result of that review.  This Order will replace the existing provisions for Telecommunications contained in the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2005. 

This order introduces a statutory duty on the Department to consult various persons and authorities upon the receipt of prior approval applications.  The order will also place a statutory duty for press and site notices advertising such applications.  An appeal procedure has also been introduced for applicants and for third parties”. 

The Order will also place a duty on applicants to supply certain information as part of their prior approval application, i.e. such as a declaration of conformity with the ICNIRP guidelines on Public Exposure.  A number of the requirements are currently supplied as part of the application; however, the changes also increase the level of detail to allow the Department and the general public to appreciate the reasons why the applicant is seeking approval for their development.

The proposed changes are to bring the procedure for prior approval applications in line with the procedure for normal planning applications.  These changes are to make the process more open and transparent to the general public and other stakeholders.