Government probes planning rules behind broadband and mobile delays

The government has launched a new consultation into planning rules for broadband and mobile infrastructure amid growing disputes over new masts and telegraph poles.

Communities have repeatedly protested against installations they see as intrusive, while telecoms firms argue planning refusals and lengthy appeals are slowing network rollouts.

Ministers have previously urged operators to limit "unnecessary" telegraph poles, and the new call for evidence is intended to gather clearer data on refusals, appeals and delays.

Refusals, appeals and the planning bottleneck

The government has opened a call for evidence titled "Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure", seeking views on whether planning rules should be changed to speed up the rollout of broadband and mobile networks.

Published on 18 December 2025, the consultation is being led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), working with housing and planning departments, and will run until 26 February 2026.

Telecoms operators argue that prior-approval decisions for broadband and mobile infrastructure are being refused far more often than headline planning statistics suggest, with refusals frequently followed by lengthy appeals.

Official planning data shows that most prior-approval applications across all sectors are approved. However, telecoms infrastructure is not reported separately, meaning ministers say it is not possible to tell from published figures how often broadband and mobile projects are actually being turned down.

Industry submissions also claim that a large share of refusals are later overturned by the Planning Inspectorate, but only after months of delay and added cost.

The consultation is seeking evidence on refusal rates, appeal outcomes, and whether the appeals process itself is now a significant source of deployment delay.

Ducts, poles and masts

Refusals and appeals most often arise when upgrades involve visible infrastructure, such as poles and masts, which is where planning rules tend to bite.

While much broadband infrastructure is already installed underground, this is not always possible. Existing ducts can be blocked, damaged or unavailable, while digging new trenches often involves lengthy approvals, traffic management and disruption.

Where underground routes are impractical, network builders - including Openreach and alternative providers - may install new poles, masts or above-ground equipment under permitted development rights. These installations do not require full planning permission, but often still pass through a prior-approval process.

Telecoms firms say refusals at this stage can slow deployment significantly. Where decisions are appealed, projects can be delayed by many months, sometimes up to a year, even when appeals are eventually upheld.

One option raised in the consultation is whether some infrastructure should move from a prior-approval process to prior notification, which would still inform councils but remove the need for formal approval.

Ministers say they are gathering evidence on whether such a change would reduce delays without removing safeguards.

Relaxing planning won't calm tensions

While moving some infrastructure to a prior-notification process could help speed up delivery, it is also likely to increase local tensions around poles and masts rather than reduce them.

Much of the opposition seen as full-fibre builds accelerated has focused less on delays and more on consultation, visibility and consent, particularly where new poles have appeared with little warning to residents.

That backlash followed earlier changes to planning rules. Permitted development rights were expanded in the early 2020s to support faster broadband and mobile rollout, reducing the need for full planning permission for some telecoms infrastructure.

While those changes helped remove planning barriers, they also shifted more decisions away from local authorities, contributing to protests, council frustration and a rising number of appeals.

Ministers have publicly acknowledged that tension. In 2024, the government urged operators to avoid installing "unnecessary" telegraph poles and to make greater use of existing infrastructure, while stopping short of removing permitted development rights altogether.

Industry bodies responded with voluntary measures. In 2025, ISPA and INCA published new best-practice guidance for gigabit broadband providers, encouraging better consultation, design and pole placement.

Separately, ministers launched a consultation on rights for leaseholders in flats to request gigabit broadband from freeholders, part of efforts to tackle rollout obstacles in multi-dwelling buildings.

The return to planning reform in late 2025 suggests those softer approaches have not fully resolved the issue. By gathering evidence on refusals and appeals, the government now appears to be reassessing whether the current system is simply pushing conflict and delay into later stages of deployment.

Yet, any changes that prioritise speed without addressing how communities experience new infrastructure risk repeating the same pattern, improving rollout metrics while leaving the underlying causes of opposition unresolved.