Labour risks deepening the UK’s worsening rural connectivity crisis by expanding plans to slash rents paid to landowners hosting mobile phone masts, it has been suggested.
Landowner Roger Foxwell, from Somerset, has hosted multiple masts for more than 25 years on his property but he has seen rent for hosting these significantly reduced.
The Electronic Communications Code (ECC) of 2017 changed how mobile mast rental rates are calculated, replacing market-value rents with a “no-scheme” valuation to make it cheaper and faster for operators to build and upgrade networks, particularly for 5G.
This reform has led to significant rent reductions for some landowners, sparking disputes and, according to some critics, slowing down infrastructure development.
Mr Foxwell said: “At one point I had four on my land. Since the new Code came in, the rent on my remaining sites has been slashed by around 90%.
“That income wasn’t a luxury – it helped cover rising bills, supported the cost of maintaining the land, and paid for business expenses. I am proud to support the rollout of 5G, but losing so much overnight makes you feel as though the system has turned against the very people who’ve kept rural areas connected for decades.”
A coalition, including the British Property Federation and the Farmers’ Union of Wales, has written to Telecoms Minister Baroness Liz Lloyd warning Labour’s plans to extend the ECC to 15,000 more sites will “entrench failure” and deepen the UK’s worsening connectivity crisis.
The group representing farmers, landowners and infrastructure investors warned the current system is already forcing farmers, small businesses, churches, charities and councils to accept drastically reduced rents.
They warned the policy is discouraging people from hosting masts, driving “more litigation, more stalled renewals, and more site losses”, and undermining the UK’s ability to deliver reliable mobile coverage.
In their letter, the coalition says 2017 reforms have caused rents to collapse by up to 90%, triggered more than 1,000 legal cases, and that “landowner goodwill has collapsed”.
Tory MP Rebecca Smith MP asked ministers what assessment had been made of the impact on rents paid to churches, local authorities, other public bodies and private landowners.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Kanishka Narayan MP said: “These measures have not yet come into force and therefore no assessment has been made of their impact on rents.”
A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesman said: “Our priority is to continue delivering high quality digital infrastructure right across the UK, which is critical to boosting growth and improving public services for hard-working communities.
“That’s why we are pushing forward with our ambition for higher quality 5G standalone coverage in all populated areas by 2030. We can only achieve this, though, by delivering the infrastructure the country needs, removing barriers and supporting investment so everyone across Britain can benefit from next-generation connectivity. We’ll continue to engage widely as we do that to ensure our approach delivers maximum impact for the public.”
