Planning telecommunications

Abstract

1 . 1 . 1 "Modem telecommunications are an essential and beneficial element in the life of the local community and in the national economy. Much of the telephone network is, of course, long established. New communications technology is now spreading rapidly to meet the growing demand for better communications at work and at home, in business and in public services." Planning Policy Guidance 8: Telecommunications 1.1.2 Such are telecommunications described in PPG8 issued in revised form in December of 1992 by Government Advice in England and Wales. The description complements perfectly the first major goal of the Malta Structure Plan, namely: "To encourage the further social and economic development of the Maltese Islands, and to ensure as far as possible that sufficient land and support infrastructure are available to accommodate it." Malta Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands thus recognising the demands technological developments exert on the environment, but encouraging a compromising rather than a conflicting approach between the two. 1.1.3 The above quotes are taken from different documentation pertaining to two different countries, namely the UK and Malta. It may be said with confidence that the UK is a more developed country, but the comparison with the UK in particular was inspired by the fact that Malta based its recently adopted planning system on that of the UK. Moreover, the UK is an established member of the European Union, and the Maltese Government has long committed itself to form part of this Union before it even came to power. Malta has already started to walk in the steps of the rest of the European counties through its formal application submitted a couple of years ago. 1.1.4 Whilst bearing in mind the goals Malta ultimately intends to achieve, this dissertation takes a closer look at the land-use implications of telecommunications development, which, as described above, is an inevitable element in our everyday life. 1.1.5 Chapter I introduces the subject to be discussed. The second part of this chapter gives an overview of the current situation in the Maltese Islands. 1.1.6 The second chapter continues by providing some technical information which helps the reader earn a better concept of the subject. 1.1.7 Chapters 3 and 4 describe the existing foreign and local policy context respectively. The following Chapter 5 comments on the two policy contexts concerning telecommunications development as part of the overall planning systems of the respective countries. 1.1.8 Chapter 6 concludes the exercise and includes recommendations in the local context as considered appropriate. 1. 2 Overview 1.2.1 Telecommunications development in Malta has evolved much on an ad-hoe basis, dictated by the needs which arose by time. However, the requirements during the last few years have arisen much more frequently as the economy of the Island boomed with the liberalisation introduced by the present administration. One of the main measures by which any government is assessed for its success is definitely economy. To facilitate this, the government must provide the necessary infrastructure, and one of today's primary requisites is reliable telecommunications, which is proving to be an industry in itself, and an important component to the rest of industries. 1.2.2 However, nowadays, social and environmental parameters are also being included in the assessment of a country's wealth. The Maltese Government will be judged on its success in encouraging economy growth whilst protecting the urban and natural environment from the unsympathetic and/or harmful developments incurred by the expansion in industry. 1.2.3 As a solution, the new government started by formalising a planning legislation to manage development in Malta. The adoption of the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands was just the initial part of the whole planning process and a number of policy areas, amongst them telecommunications. In the absence of previous strategic land-use plans for the Maltese Islands, there was no particular long term plan in this regard other than that indicated in paragraph 16.10 of Chapter 16 of the Structure Plan, dealing with Public Utilities: "Telemalta has forecast a need for nine new telephone exchanges and two remote concentrations by the year 2000 but has no development plan beyond that date." 1.2.4 Policy PUT 24, therefore, bound Telemalta and the Planning Authority as follows: "Telemalta will prepare a 20-year development plan based on the Structure Plan to meet all new telecommunications requirements relating to all suppliers and users, and the Planning Authority will co-operate with Telemalta to ensure the optimal siting of new facilities for addition to the Plan." 1.2.5 This timing for the drafting of such a development plan may prove to be both exciting and opportunistic in an era where breakthroughs in telecommunications are announced everyday rendering the world smaller and smaller through the information highway networks. Never before had the potentials of telecommunications been so tangible. 1.2.6 Due to the rapid expansion in the telecommunications industry and in order to accommodate this expansion, the development control system is now facing applications for this type of development. Telecommunications antennae did not previously require a development permit prior their installation. Today, a development permit is a requisite and being enforced so. Consequently, the Planning Authority is obliged to determine applications of this nature before all the necessary legislation and development plans with all the details are in place. Thus, these applications are treated more or less on an individual basis, but nevertheless in the light of the existing policies, statutory plans, and other policies in formulation. These include Local Plans, the designation of Scheduled Properties, including UCAs, Listed Buildings and Areas of Ecological or Archaeological Interest. Other policies adopted by various governmental bodies are also given their due consideration during the assessment of these applications. 1.2. 7 Developments in events incurred by the present legislature's direction include also the increase in popularity in the use of citizen bands' radios. Small enterprises and individuals have made most of the opportunity and availed themselves of these frequencies, finding it a cheap and convenient way to communicate be it out of necessity or just for pure gossip. Planning wise it has not contributed much - the unsightly view of television aerials on top of buildings against the skyline is now becoming denser with the erection of other kinds of antennas ancillary to this newly-adopted pastime. […]