Deregulation – Lets Start with Phone Masts

This entry was posted on Friday, October 7th, 2022 at 4:19 pm

If the new Government team are keen on deregulation, then let’s start with the Digital Economy Act that governs phone masts.

Farmers and Landowners have been able to negotiate arm’s length deals before this piece of legislation was enacted in 2017.  Now privately owned companies effectively threaten compulsory purchase powers to reduce rents to well below market levels for the ultimate benefit of their shareholders.

Because the rents being offered by the Electronic Communications Code Operators are so far below commercial levels, the effect has been a whole host of legal cases and ever moving goal posts as to where to set these rents.

Low rental offers have been accompanied by one off payments as incentives to sign up at revised levels.

The result has been rents dropping from ranges between £5,000 and £7,000 per annum down to below £2,000 per annum and in some cases opening offers of less than £500 per annum.

Badly drafted legislation trying to create a false market has led to disputes clogging up our court system which is already suffering severe backlogs.

Until this legislation is overhauled ensure you have professional advice which is up to date on any rent review or lease renewal of a Telecom Mast

Rod Cordingley BSc FRICS FAAV

Tel: 07801 685660

Email: rlc@stephenson.co.uk