Trust reacts to Telegraph article on rural mobile not-spots
Trust reacts to Telegraph article “Labour cuts back £1bn project to tackle rural mobile not-spots".
The Trust welcomes the UK Government's review of the ‘Total Not-Spot’ element of the Shared Rural Network programme, which threatened wild places across the country by erecting telecoms masts in uninhabited remote areas.
The Shared Rural Network programme is a collaboration between the UK Government and four big mobile phone operators (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone), which is aiming to reach full 4G mobile phone coverage across Britain and thereby eradicating "not-spots" - rural areas with no phone coverage at all.
In order to meet these targets, extremely remote and ecologically fragile areas were set to accommodate unnecessary telecoms masts and related infrastructure, leaving a significant mark on these precious wild places.
In September 2024, a joint letter was sent to Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State for Digital and Data Infrastructure, asking the government to review the ‘Total Not-Spot’ element of the Shared Rural Network and arguing that the Network failed to consider whether people living in rural areas needed or wanted the masts.
The letter was signed by the John Muir Trust along with 46 other signatories, including Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland, Mountaineering Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland.
The Trust and coalition members have since been working with UK Government agencies to find a way forward that delivers connectivity for rural communities and protects wild places.
Thomas Widrow, Head of Campaigns at the John Muir Trust, said: "At a time when environmental protection in planning is under threat in the UK, it is encouraging to see that the Labour Government is considering siding with nature on this particular case.
“We are very pleased to hear the UK Government is listening to the unprecedented coalition of concern ranging across organisations from environmental charities to local communities and private landowners.
"We look forward to working with UK Government agencies and mobile network operators to deliver connectivity where needed and protect the country's wild places."
Support our policy work by supporting our Wild Action Fund.
