Mobile UK has responded, jointly with the Mobile Infrastructure Forum, to the Government’s consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  

The NPPF is the cornerstone of planning regulations, as such it must provide the overall framework and the appropriate context for planning officers and committees as they make decisions about the future of the UK’s digital infrastructure  - infrastructure which will underpin all that the Government hopes to achieve in terms of economic growth and inclusion. Our response therefore emphasises the need for the framework to go further in recognising digital connectivity as critical national infrastructure and a primary driver of economic growth.

Key Narratives and Asks from our Submission:

• Elevate Digital Connectivity: We are calling for the restoration of explicit language that recognises high-quality digital infrastructure as "essential for economic growth and social well-being," ensuring it remains a central pillar of national policy.

• Address "Notice to Quit" (NTQ) Concerns: We highlight a critical gap where the statutory timeframes designated in planning regulations are insufficient to secure new permissions and build replacement sites before an existing lease is terminated. This creates a high risk of "off-air" situations where entire communities lose vital connectivity during the transition period.

• Ensure Balanced Planning Priorities: The framework must provide sufficient weight to the role connectivity plays in national productivity, ensuring it is balanced appropriately against other factors like visual impact or heritage assets to reflect its status as a critical utility.

• Mandate Local Plan-Making: We recommend including digital infrastructure in local plan-making requirements to provide Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) with the clear regional policy "hooks" needed to proactively address connectivity challenges.

• Focus on Capacity and Densification: Policy must move beyond a narrow focus on geographic "coverage" to recognise that mature urban areas require capacity and densification to support the data-driven demands of next-generation technologies.

• Prioritise Service Delivery: National planning guidance should focus on the proactive delivery of essential services, shifting away from language that implicitly positions the avoidance of new infrastructure as a primary policy objective.

The mobile industry is committed to working alongside the Government to ensure planning policy aligns with national infrastructure goals. Following our recent submission on Permitted Development Rights—which demonstrated that small, technical changes can have a significant positive impact—we see reform of the NPPF as providing is the backdrop for a pro-investment environment that will secure the UK’s digital future for all.

The full consultation response can be found here.

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