Property owners could lose 99% of rent they charge telecoms firms

Property owners say they will lose up to 99% of rent they charge telecoms firms to erect phone masts thanks to new government bill

• Property owners face 99% cuts to rent they charge telecoms firms to erect masts
• If the Bill passes, it will allow mast owners to bypass the Land Tribunal system
• The Gov says rental pricing will let mobile phone firms invest in infrastructure

Property owners say they face cuts of up to 99 per cent to the rent they charge telecoms firms to erect phone masts.

If the Government’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill passes its final stages in the House of Lords on Wednesday, it will allow mast owners to bypass the Land Tribunal system that adjudicated rents.

The Government says its new rental pricing regulations will let mobile phone firms invest in infrastructure while paying landlords a fair price. But farmers, councils, churches and community groups say they are being hit hard.

Property owners say they face cuts of up to 99 per cent to the rent they charge telecoms firms to erect phone masts

If the Government’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill passes its final stages in the House of Lords on Wednesday, it will allow mast owners to bypass the Land Tribunal system that adjudicated rents

For example, Swindon Council lost 93 per cent of its income from four sites – with the annual rent for one cut from £9,500 a year to just 1p. But the Government said: ‘We want to make sure people have better mobile signal and broadband.

‘Pricing for the right to install telecoms kit is now more closely aligned to utilities such as water, electricity and gas.’

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