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| Home > Information Leaflets > Information Leaflet #13: Guide for the Installation of Antennas |
Information Leaflet #13
A Householder’s Planning Guide for the Installation of Antennas, including Satellite Dishes
September 2006
Introduction
This booklet is an outline of the planning regulations for antennas in Northern Ireland, and includes the Government’s statement of good practice on where to place antennas. In this document, ‘antennas’ include satellite dishes.
Generally, most conventional TV aerials (including their mountings and poles) are not considered as being development, and they therefore do not require planning consent because they are considered to be de minimis1.
This document takes account of changes to the Planning (General Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 1993 (the GDO) introduced by the Planning (General Development) (Amendment No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006 (the 2006 Order).
This guide aims to do the following:
- Explain what the regulations say about the number and the size of antennas allowed and where they should be placed.
- Offer guidance on the most appropriate places to site antennas to try to help protect our environment.
- Help retailers and installers provide appropriate advice and service to you on where to place antennas.
Important Notes: Before you buy or rent an antenna, check whether you need planning permission, listed building consent, or permission from the landlord or owner.
You are responsible for placing antennas in the appropriate position. If you have any doubt about the position you have in mind, contact your local divisional planning office or get independent professional advice. There are six divisional planning offices and two sub-divisional offices plus a headquarters office. Addresses for each of these offices are available on our key contacts page.
1 de minimis – the shortened version of ‘de minimis non curat lex’ – is a legal maxim roughly translated as “the law does not concern itself with trifles”. It is a legal principle applied by the courts and, as such, is not described or dealt with in the Planning legislation. It is applied where a trifling infringement is brought to the attention of the court, but where the deviation is of so little consequence that, if continued, would weigh little or nothing in the public interest and might properly be overlooked. What is treated as de minimis is the decision of the courts based on the facts of the case. It is not within the gift of Planning Service to decide whether or where the principle should be applied, nor can the decision of the courts be anticipated in this way.