CCTV Tower planning permission.

[CompostCORNER]

Just out of intrest guys, do any of you apply for planning permission upon acceptance of any quotation and before the commencement of installation for CCTV with towers?

Something thats arisen on a job of mine. I've already installed the job which consists of around 8 Altron towers. 4 are freestanding the rest bolted to existing structures. The site in question is entirely private. A very large holiday home site. All the camera towers are on the site of course but as with all cameras, you can view the border of the site and the areas around.

Whats happened is a tennant on a near by run down council estate has lodged a complaint about my cameras. Stating they invade his/her privacy, the local authority has decided that theres nothing this tenant can do but the authority has sprung a nice little trap that to be honest, in all the years I myself and my company have fitted CCTV, we never thought there'd be an issue.

The basic rules are as follows....

Installing a tower to an existing building is acceptable. No problems there.

Installing a tower that is free standing would need local authority approval concerning planning permission if such a tower stood in excess of 4 meters tall.

Clicking this link will bring up a piccy of a camera tower that is acceptable:- http://www.compostcorner.karoo.net/pat/012.jpg

Clicking this second link will bring up a piccy of a camera tower that is subject to planning permission:- http://www.compostcorner.karoo.net/pat/025.jpg

Bearing in mind that this free standing tower is smack bang in the centre of the land owners land and is more than a quarter of a mile from any other land owners property.

What I do find weird is the fact that the free standing towers are to the centre of the site and are 8 meters tall. The posts attatched to buildings that are exempt from planning permission are around the site perimeter, more than 8 meters tall and are the ones the tenant made a complaint about.

Has anyone else been stung by local authorities re planning permission?

Do any of you always apply for planning permission for such installations?

Is anyone, like we are, oblivious that such regs exist for such an installation?

The planning permission laws are quite simple. If you install anything free standing that exceeds 4 meters in height, you need planning permission. Even if you own the land.

Planning permission would therefore be needed for the following....

Erection of lighting/ street light towers ect....

Posts for cateenery wires or telecommunication wires/ telegraph posts.

Security fencing that exceeds 4 meters in height.

Stand alone posts for cameras, detection devices, tannoy systems.

Also we were told that if a tower already exists for another purpose and it had planning permission granted, and you decide to stick a camera on that tower, you have to apply again for planning permission. So it looks like even fitting a fixed camera on an existing lamp post on a site is subject to planning permission.

Tony

[Guest dale]

Well I have never applied for planning permission for large posts ive added cameras to, or new posts and I have never had complaints from the council.

I would have thought it would be up to the customer to ensure they have the appropriate planning permission, when erecting our conservatory the company we chose advised us and drew up plans but it was up to us to submit the plans and get acceptance and pay them to come and inspect.

[TSS]

Never knew that! I did know that you need pp to erect a fence over 8 feet. The PP is unlikely to be refused even retrospectively, as most common reason for not granting it is a reduction in safety, or not in keeping with surrounding area or local plan. Its the client's problem not yours, but all the same it looks bad on you cos you didnt tell them they needed it!

We have a site that the local council BCO is on every week, and he hasnt mentioned PP at all!

It is your responsibility, along with the client's to ensure compliance with DPA, so putting in privacy panels physical or electronic are a must.

Non conformity with DPA is an expensive business as they wont fine you for less than about 3 non-conformities £XXXXX!

Does your spec mention DPA?

James

[Guest Andyp]

We have installed quite a few poles in the last few months. As the customers are usually councils they sort their own pp.

You will usually find that the reason people have had problems with planning issues is because someone has complained and the council have had to do something. Most law abiding citizens are happy for security protection given by cctv so they dont complain. The council are also happy because if the system is compliant with DPA, it gives further protection in the general area.

The complainant in this matter cant object to the planning permission on the grounds of his privacy as long as the installation is compliant with DPA 1998.