*Calls provided by BT charged at up to 2p per minute daytime and 0.5p per minute evenings (plus 6p BT connection charge). Calls provided by Manx Telecom (Isle of Man) charged at up to 5p per minute with a minimum call charge of 5.5p. Rates may vary for calls from other providers including mobile operators.

For more information, help or advice, contact Digital UK: call us 08456 50 50 50* visit us www.digitaluk.co.uk/propertymanagers

Planning procedures vary across the nations and regions of the UK. Information about putting up aerials and satellite dishes from the respective Governments can be accessed via www.digitaluk.co.uk/propertymanagers/satellitedishes

This leaflet provides general information and is up to date at the time of going to print, January 2009. It is not a definitive statement of the law or your rights. You are advised to check the current situation for the specific circumstances of your property before buying any equipment or starting any work. Further information and advice, as well as planning application, listed or registered building consent forms, are available from your local planning authority or office.

Digital UK is working with:

Your guide to installing Aerials and Satellite Dishes

TV in the UK is going digital, region by region. The existing analogue signal is being switched off and replaced with a digital one.

Across the UK, National Parks and Conservation Areas are classed as Designated Areas. In addition, each national or devolved government has additional Designated Areas (see below). There are also planning requirements that apply in Special Areas of Conservation or Special Protection Areas.

Designated areas:

• National Scenic Area;• Historic Gardens or Designed Landscapes; or

• On a Category A listed building or a scheduled monument or within the setting of such a building or monument.

• Norfolk and Suffolk Broads• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• World Heritage Sites

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• Areas of Special Scientific Interest

• National Heritage Sites

• Areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB)

• Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs);

If you need to install an aerial or satellite dish in order to receive digital TV, and you live in a listed or registered building or a conservation area, special restrictions will apply.

You will need to check with your local planning authority. If you live in a flat or rent your property, you may also need to obtain permission from your freeholder, landlord, factor or property manager.

Local planning authorities could be: • The local council• The local divisional planning office

• The National Park Authority• The Department of Local Government and the Environment (Isle of Man)

Local planning authorities control the planning permission for any development in your area and will be able to advise you on what you need to do.

To check when you switch to digital, visit our online postcode checker at digitaluk.co.uk† or call us on 08456 50 50 50.

In England:

In Scotland:

In Northern Ireland:

In Wales:

In the Isle of Man:

† This is a predictive coverage database and should be used as a guide only.

• Is your property listed or registered?

• Is your property in a ‘designated area’?

• Is your property more than 15 metres tall?

• Is the main part of your satellite dish more than 100cm long, or its cubic capacity over 35 litres?

• Do you plan to mount your satellite dish on a chimney or the roof?

• If you don’t have a chimney are you planning on mounting your satellite dish above the highest part of the roof?

• If you do have a chimney, is your satellite dish going to be higher than the chimney, or more than 60cm higher than the highest part of the roof (whichever is lower)?

• Will there be more than two dishes on your house or in your garden?

• If you live in a ‘designated area’ is the dish going on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto and is visible from a highway e.g. a road, public footpath or bridleway, or the Broads waterway?

What permissions might I need? If you answer YES to any of the questions below, you should check with your local planning authority to find out if you need planning permission or any consents before you begin installation work:

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

Planning permission?

Landlord’s permission?

Listed/registered building consent?

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Aerial:Traditionally TV aerials have not been considered a ‘development’ that requires planning permission. However, with changes in technology, if you are planning on replacing it with a bigger aerial or moving it to a different location you may need permission.

Satellite:In most cases, a satellite dish can be put on a building without the need for planning permission. However, putting a satellite dish on a registered or listed building will require Listed or Registered Building Consent. It is important you check before you start work.

Even if you don’t need permission, any aerial or satellite dish that you put up shouldn’t significantly affect the appearance of your building.

If it isn’t in the right place, your planning authority could make you move it – at your own expense. If you no longer need an aerial or satellite dish (for instance, if you decide to take a cable digital TV service like Virgin Media), you should think about removing it.

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Choosing suppliers and installers

Always get digital TV equipment from a reputable company or service provider. If you need to upgrade or replace the aerial on your building, look for a Registered Digital Installer (RDI) with the ‘digital tick’ logo – it means they have been trained and security checked. They should also be able to give you advice on whether you need to apply for planning permission to install an aerial or satellite dish in a particular place.

To find an RDI near you, visit www.rdi-lb.tv or call Digital UK on 08456 50 50 50. If you can’t find an RDI locally, look for someone with Associate RDI, CAI Plus or IDSC status, ask your local electrical retailer, or contact your local Council to see their Assured Trader list.

How can I minimise the visual impact of a satellite dish or aerial?• Satellite dishes don’t have to be attached to the main building - as long as they can be hidden in your garden or attached to a tree or garden shed.

• Consider sharing an aerial or satellite dish with your neighbours.

• Consider choosing a satellite dish that will blend in with your building, or consider using a mesh or a transparent dish.

• Always use the smallest size possible.

The maximum number of antennas - aerials/satellite dishes that can be installed on a building is four, unless the building is under 15 metres high when it is usually limited to two. If the number installed has already reached this, you will need planning permission to install any more. For blocks of flats, the best solution is to install a communal or shared

aerial system that will give everyone in the building access to digital TV.

People living in flats or rented accommodation should consult their landlord or property manager before putting up a satellite dish or aerial. This is in addition to any other permissions that may be needed, e.g. planning.

What if I live in a block of flats?

Recommended position

Acceptable position

Unacceptable position

This diagram does not apply to designated areas or listed buildings.