Landscape and biodiversity

Reducing the visual impact of our networks

We try to make sure our network masts do not blight the landscape. We consult local communities on our mast siting plans.

Our compliance with voluntary best practice guidelines on responsible mast siting - under the auspices of the Mobile Operators’ Association in the UK and the Deutsches Institut fuer Urbanistik in Germany - is audited by third parties. Both reports are published annually and are available to the general public. Our approach is to find alternative sitings or to mitigate the effects when issues of biodiversity or visual impact occur.

We try to blend our sites into the environment through innovative design and a range of masking materials. These strategies mean O2 can develop sites that look like trees, telegraph poles, flagpoles, chimneys or other architectural features. We will also consider what natural screening is available.

This is especially the case in sensitive areas such as National Parks, Conservation Areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

To reduce our effects, we have a policy to share masts with other operators where feasible.

Across O2 we work in partnership with several organisations to preserve and create bio-diverse habitats, such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, the Tree Council of Ireland and the WWF.