Satellite dishes

Central Government guidance only requires you to apply for planning permission to install a satellite dish in certain circumstances. This guidance aims to explain when planning permission is needed, and to ensure that all dishes blend well with the architectural design of our townscape.

Please note this information is only intended as a guide (more detailed advice is available in the Borough Local Plan) and you are strongly advised to contact the Policy and Design group at an early stage before carrying out any works to your property if you are in any doubt.

Planning considerations - is planning permission required?

You may want to view an easy to follow flow chart (pdf, 22 KB) to help you decide if you need planning permission.

Further detailed information can be found at the site of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) website or an easy to use visual guide can be found at the Planning Portal.

Notes

• If you do not own the house or flat you are living in, then you will normally require the freehold owners consent to install a satellite antennae.
• Antennae should normally be located where they are not readily visible against the sky.
• The colour of the antennae should blend with the colour of the background, especially where it is visible from the public realm. (A white dish may blend against a white background but it may be very conspicuous against darker backgrounds. In some cases a mesh or transparent dish may be less obtrusive than a solid one.)
• The installation of a dish on a listed building, or within its curtilage, may require ‘Listed Building Consent’. Antennae will normally be acceptable on Historic Buildings only where they do not harm the historic or architectural character of the building or its setting, or require alterations to, or the loss of its historic fabric. You are advised to consult the Department of Technical & Environmental Services before making any alterations to a Listed Building.
• It is your responsibility to seek, or not seek planning permission. If required, planning permission should be granted before installation.

Planning applications are not normally required for standard TV equipment, but specialised masts or poles may need permission.

If you live in a tower block, or a large group of flats or houses it may be possible to install a communal satellite dish.