Planning Bill — Mobile phone masts to require certificates — rejected — 25 Jun 2008 at 18:45

The majority of MPs voted against inserting two new clauses into the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 relating to planning permission for telecommunications masts.

The first clause said:^[1]

• Telecommunications masts: precautionary principle statement
• Every application for planning permission for telecommunications masts and associated apparatus shall be accompanied by a precautionary principle statement which will be available for inspection
• If the statement indicates that there is a threat of damage to health or the environment, it shall not be a ground for granting planning permission that there is a lack of full scientific certainty about the extent of the threat of damage to health or the environment.

The second clause which would have been inserted said:

• Telecommunications masts: beam of greatest intensity certificate
• Every application for planning permission for telecommunications masts and associated apparatus shall be accompanied by a certificate, which is available for inspection, setting out
• the area and maximum range of the beam of greatest intensity,
• the minimum and maximum distances at ground level of the beam of greatest intensity,
• an explanation of the way in which the intensity of radiation falls off with distance from an antennae and of the level of the intensity of radiofrequency radiation,
• an indication of where the beam of greatest intensity falls and the nearest and farthest distance from the antenna to these points.
• Where a beam of greatest intensity falls on any part of any premises or land occupied by or consisting of an educational or medical facility, or of residential property, planning permission shall not be granted before first taking into account the information contained within the certificate, and any representations received in respect of that information.

These measures were the subject of three earlier private members that were talked out in one way or another.^[2]

• [1] New Clause 3 - Amendment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, House of Commons, 25 June 2008
• [2] Andrew Stunell MP, House of Commons, 25 June 2008

Debate in Parliament | Source |