Vélez-Málaga Council has prepared a technical paper to clarify, once and for all, the criteria relating to the installation of mobile phone antennae within the municipality.
The municipality already has an ordinance in place regulating mobile phone antennae, approved in December 2008, but the reality of the situation, due to other factors to be considered, such as the POTAX, has led to different interpretations of the rules.
The new paper proposes the following:
- Antennae can, in principle, be placed on any type of land provided they meet certain criteria relating to visibilty (camouflage) and environmental impact (may not exceed the established exposure limit).
- The maximum height on undeveloped land will be 40 metres and in urban areas it will be 30 metres.
- The maximum area to be occupied by an antenna is 25 square metres.
- Antennae can be placed on the roofs of buildings but planning permission will be required and a register will be kept of all approved antennae.
- Antennae are expressly prohibited in the historic centre of the town unless permitted under the Special Plan for the Centre (PEPRI).
- Antennae may not be within a 50 metre radius of schools, kindergartens, libraries, health centers, hospitals and homes for the elderly. Neither will they be tolerated on the facade of buildings.
Under the POTAX (Plan for the Axarquia), antennae are prohibited on listed buildings, on the seashore and within a radius of 300 metres of historic landmarks or cliffs.