Written question WQ99552
- Asked by
- Dan ThomasReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 13 days
Question
What assessment has the Welsh Government made of whether current permitted development rights for mobile infrastructure remain fit for purpose, given changes in mobile technology and the increasing need to upgrade existing sites?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning (Siân Gwenllian)
Permitted Development Rights for telecommunications infrastructure in Wales were amended in 2019 in consultation with the industry to address their calls to increase mast height and mast width and make changes to other regulations to better support deployment of 4G and 5G services.
The Welsh Government supports the deployment of fast modern telecoms infrastructure and has put in place planning policy and PDRs to help achieve this. However, it is important to consider impacts on amenity and the environment where this is relevant. Approximately 30% of land in Wales falls within a protected land designation