Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have launched a call for evidence on changing planning rules to make it faster to build digital infrastructure.

This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 26 February 2026.

The government wants to hear from you about whether it should change planning rules and update policy guidance. This would mean:

• digital infrastructure like phone masts and broadband infrastructure could be built faster, helping to improve coverage across the country
• communities everywhere could benefit from better connectivity

It is focusing on specific problems in the planning system that slow down or add unnecessary costs to building infrastructure. This is particularly about low-impact upgrades or new equipment that should not face these delays.

Read the full consultation document and respond below.