Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to make it a requirement for local planning authorities to take into account the need to replace or upgrade existing rooftop telecommunications equipment when determining planning applications.

Between 18 December 2025 and 26 February 2026, the government undertook a call for evidence in respect of reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure. It can be found on gov.uk here.

We are currently analysing the feedback received with a view to determining next steps, which may include consulting on draft measures and, where appropriate, bringing forward necessary legislation.