5G Masts – Westminster Hall Debate

Today I held a Westminster Hall Debate in Parliament regarding the current issue with the installation of 5G & telecommunications masts and changes to national planning law which make these installations, among other issues like HMO conversion, far too easy for developers to secure.

The installation of equipment, whether it’s 5g or wireless broadband covers three main areas;

Firstly, Planning policy and permitted development. Secondly, guidance on siting of cabinets and poles. And thirdly, access to the existing network. I covered these areas in the debate, which you can view below.

In Oldham, we are seeing these main issues reflected in the installations in our communities. At Chadderton Hall Park, the installation abuts the children’s play area and the café, with no effort made to minimise the impact. This is mirrored at Denbydale Way in Royton, where we are seeing residents left feeling powerless to stop the installations outside their homes.

I have urged IXWireless to review the installation on Denbydale Way and suggested they remove it entirely or use infrastructure already available.

Our residents need a voice; we need to change the law to make meaningful consultation with residents a legal requirement, guidance on siting made legally binding to mitigate impacts on communities and finally to legislate to force companies to share the same infrastructure to fundamentally reduce the number of installations on our streets and in our communities, without reducing connectivity and capacity.

We have had success, however, in Oldham my office held a workshop in July last year, with residents from all communities coming together to meet with IXWireless to discuss the siting and appearance of poles, with many moved, though not all. Alongside this, the company have reached an agreement with the Council to seek ‘prior approval’ which does allow for more community consultation, however in law they could remove this good faith and continue under permitted development rules.

In response to the debate, the Minister offered a roundtable between MP’s to review and discuss how rules and changes to enforcement could be tightened up, this would be a welcome start.

Consistent Conservative top-down implementation must be changed, and community power respect.

You can view the full debate here;

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/3b5d1bc0-1c14-4bfc-bf43-ce72089d5fda?in=16:00:00