Confused over Council Planning letter

[Phoebe@Sydenham]

Hi

I wonder if anyone familiar with Bromley Council planning application process can help.

Last Summer there was an application logged by Hutchison/EE for a 18-meter high 5G telecom mast to be built on Springfield Road (next to entrance of Sydenham Tennis Club) It got turned down after nearly 200 objections from local residents. A few months later, a similar letter arrived (in early April) saying the same company is now applying to build a 15-meter 5G mast at exactly the same location that the application was turned down last year. Public consultation runs till 28th April.

What confuses me is, in the letter from Bromley Council, it writes
“The above 56-day notification has been received from Hutchison.UK, Ltd. Please note this is not a planning application but a notification under Part 16 of the Town and Country (General Permitted Development) Order 2015...” Does that mean the council has already approved it and only gives the time period to take comments, but nothing will change their decision? Or, does it mean they will still consider public opinions? Why it is a “notification” and not an “application”?

Thanks

[Phoebe@Sydenham]

Link to the council planning webpage for the 15-meter mast:

https://searchapplications.bromley.gov. ... 8O2BTJH300

[f4monty]

This was the jargon used when Lewisham consulted on a similar mast near us last year. Locals were consulted and the council rejected the plan. So unsure what would’ve changed to make it just a notification under this regulation.

[Phoebe@Sydenham]

This was the jargon used when Lewisham consulted on a similar mast near us last year. Locals were consulted and the council rejected the plan. So unsure what would’ve changed to make it just a notification under this regulation.

Thanks!

Nothing changed in their revised plan for the mast this time apart from reducing the height of the mast from 18-meter to 15-meter, but still a lot higher than nearby 2/3 storey houses...the location itself is very exposed and the tennis club has cut down hedges and trees since last year, so....

[JGD]

On a general point.

It is noted that Bromley Council conform to planning rules more precisely than Lewisham in that comments on applications from members of the public and other bodies are published along with their names.

A good example of transparency that Lewisham should adopt in the near future.