Get best deal on phone masts
It is not usual for rents on anything to go down but the exception has been within telecoms and in particular phone masts.
Many farms host a mast, and they have been a welcome source of income with rents ranging from £3,500 to £12,000 depending on size and often rising annually with the RPI index.
The Electronic Communications Code 2017 tilted the power back to the phone operators who say that rents must be based around existing use value plus an amount for disturbance, not an open market negotiation, and they estimate this at just a few hundred pounds a year.
After years of stand-off and the all-important Dale Park case a base has been set at around £750 with circumstances occasionally leading to higher figures, payment of costs and settlement “inducements”.
I advise all landowners to get informed advice to get the best possible deal.
Mike Taylor is Senior Partner at Barbers Rural Consultancy LLP.
