Satellite dish set to cost £150 across city conservation area

HOUSEHOLDERS could be forced to pay 150 for satellite dishes they have already put up on houses in a Hull conservation area.

Residents who have installed dishes on their front of homes in the Avenues area within the last four years will have to shift them elsewhere – or pay the fee to apply for retrospective planning permission.

The number of dishes on the Victorian and Edwardian homes has doubled in the past decade, and some residents believe they are spoiling the look of the area.

Hull Council has now stepped in and councillors have voted for a review which could see enforcement action taken against those who refuse to move them.

Planning permission is required if a dish is on the front of the house and visible from the road. They are allowed on the back of a house.

Graham Varley, from Hull Council’s planning department, said ideally householders would move the dishes somewhere they did not need planning permission. Failing that, they will have to apply for permission, at a cost of 150.

The worst examples included houses with two satellite dishes on the front bay windows.

He said: “Working together with the residents association we will produce something to put in the newsletter, firstly to make people aware they need to get planning permission and guidance on what we feel are suitable places for them to site them. It was generally we felt we had to do something and this was a good balance, to try and work with people first rather than jumping in with enforcement action.”

Councillors agreed that after three months the authority will review the situation “and enforcement action (will) be taken if considered appropriate on a case by case basis”.

Chairman of the Avenues and Pearson Park Residents’ Association Stephanie Wilson said she wished the fee could be waived.

“I regret that the 150 fee will be applied retrospectively and wish it could be waived but understand it would not be legal,” she said.

“I think we carry the community with us on this issue – whether they will be still with us when they have extra costs – who knows? ”

The Avenues was designated a conservation area in 1974.