The government has announced changes to planning permission rules in order to speed up the rollout of faster broadband speeds across the country.
These changes will mean that internet companies will not need planning permission from local councils to install broadband cabinets and other equipment on public land.
The new rule builds on a £680m pledge by the government to grant access to fast broadband to all. It is hoped that with these changes the government will reach its target of having 90 per cent of the UK connected to the internet with a minimum download speed of 24Mbps within 3 years. At that speed, users will be able to download a 90- minute high definition programme from BBC iPlayer in 15 minutes. The government also plans to create 10 “super-connected” cities offering download speeds of at least 80Mbps to become the fastest country in Europe by 2015.
The government has already met some resistance to its plans with campaigners in London’s Kensington and Chelsea delaying the broadband rollout in their borough. They rejected 96 of BT’s proposed 108 broadband boxes in the area leading to plans being withdrawn. The borough claimed that the boxes were an eyesore and that they did not fit in with the area’s historic streets.
These planning changes will cut through bureaucratic red tape to speed up the rollout process and ensure that nowhere, especially rural areas, is left behind. English councils will now only be able to oppose the installation of broadband infrastructure if the build plans affect an area of scientific interest. Broadband companies have welcomed these changes though Virgin Media has noted they are long overdue. The government is also trying to work out a way to shorten the time it takes to agree approval for cabinet and cable installation on private land.
The new policies will apply until 2015 after which new legislation will take over.
