Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
A Householder's Planning Guide for the
Installation of Satellite Television Dishes
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This Planning Guide is the Government's statement of good practice on the siting of satellite television dish antennas in England and Wales. It has been prepared with, and agreed by, representatives of the satellite television industry and local planning authorities.
The purpose of this guide is:
First to protect our environment from unnecessarily large, unsympathetic or poorly sited satellite dishes.
Second to make you, as a householder, aware of the need for the appropriate siting of satellite dishes.
Third to help retailers and installers provide improved advice and service to householders on the siting of satellite dishes.
Before you buy or rent a dish, check whether you need planning permission, listed building consent or owner's/ landlord's consent.
Remember, you are responsible for the appropriate siting of satellite dishes; if you have any doubt, contact the planning department of your local council or seek independent professional advice.
Checklist for Selection, Purchase, and Installation
Check if you need the landlord's, or owner's consent.
Don't allow a dish to be installed without first finding out whether or not you need planning permission or listed building consent.
Use reputable and authorised suppliers and installers.
Select a dish no larger than the minimum required for good reception.
Site the dish in an inconspicuous place, preferably where your neighbours and the public cannot see it.
Avoid breaking the skyline with the dish and, whenever possible don't site it in front of the house.
Select a dish that blends in with its chosen background.
Respect the environment. The cheapest option may not be the most environmentally friendly.
Don't forget that you are responsible for having it installed; poor siting may lead the council to require you to resite the dish at your own expense.
Satellite TV technology continues to evolve: you should be aware of the different kinds of system so that you can make an informed choice.
Is a planning application required?
A general permission exists under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) Order 1998 for satellite dishes in certain circumstances. These are explained below according to different house types and areas.
If you are a tenant or a leaseholder (ie you do not own the house you live in), then the landlord's or owner's consent to install a dish is usually required, unless it has already been given, as well as any other necessary permissions.
1 Do you live in a house that is not in a conservation area, a National park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Norfolk Boards?
Then you do not need to apply for planning permission to install a dish on that house, provided that:
there will not be more than one dish on the building or in the garden;
the dish does not exceed 90cm in size;
if the dish is installed on the roof, it does not protrude above the highest part of the roof;
in the case of an installation on a chimney stack, the dish does not exceed 45cm in size and is not higher than the highest part of the stack.
2 Do you live in a larger block of flats (of or over 15m in height - approximately over five storeys)?
Then you do not need to apply for planning permission to install a dish, provided that:
the building is not in a conservation area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads;
the number of dishes (including terrestrial dish antennas) on the building as a whole does not exceed two;
the dish does not exceed 1.3m in size.
3 Do you live in a flat in a small block of flats or commercial premises (below 15m in height) or plan to install a dish on a commercial property (eg shop, pub, club, etc)? Or do you live in a dwelling house in a conservation area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads?
Then you do not need to apply for planning permission to install a dish, provided that:
the dish does not exceed the limits on size, number and siting that are set out in paragraph 1 above, and the installation is not on a chimney stack, nor on the wall or roofslope fronting the road or public footpath (or, in the case of the Broads, fronting the waterway).
In the case of flats, these limits refer to the building as a whole and not to each separate flat. If, therefore, one flat dweller has already installed a dish, planning permission is required for further installations. However, in such a case, the flat dweller may wish to examine the possibility of a shared dish.
Your supplier or installer may generally be able to advise whether an application for planning permission is required for installing a dish in a particular place. If there is any doubt you should contact the planning department of your local council; the department provides application forms if planning permission is required.
It is your responsibility for seeking, or not seeking, planning permission. If required, planning permission should be granted before installation.
Size means the measurement across any dimension of the antenna (excluding any projecting feed element, the reinforcing rim and supporting brackets).
Some buildings are 'listed' because of their special historic or architectural interest. If you live in a 'listed building', you will need to consult your local planning department. The department can advise if the building is 'listed'. If it is, you will generally need to apply for 'listed building consent', if you wish to install a dish on that building. This consent is different from planning permission and must not be confused with it.
Listed building consent is required for any dish that affects the character orappearance of a listed building or its setting.
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