"The shift to 5G alone is projected to increase UK productivity by over £150bn by 2030"
Failing to Plan, Planning will fail > The Problem
The local planning system too often acts as a barrier to this investment. This makes the economy weaker and society less inclusive. There is ample evidence that the planning system is dysfunctional:
- Planning departments have experienced a significant funding squeeze
- There is a workforce crisis in the planning profession
- There is uncertainty around planning policy and delays in decision-making
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile infrastructure providers experience specific consequences of this dysfunction:
- There is less knowledge of mobile infrastructure issues within the planning profession
- The planning system cannot straightforwardly facilitate the replacement of existing mobile infrastructure, meaning reduced connectivity in some communities.
- Planning decisions for mobile infrastructure – often in the hardest to reach places – can take up to two years to complete
- Appeals against negative planning decisions are often slow to resolve (with the majority of appeals relating to mobile infrastructure being successful)
- There is a lack of awareness and weighting within the planning system around the social and economic benefits of mobile connectivity to society, regularly leading to objections in the planning system.
