Business

West Wales farmer’s 5G mast rent row highlights a rural connectivity crunch

Published

7 months ago

May 18, 2025

A shock on the Carmarthenshire Farm

A FARMER from Carmarthenshire is at the centre of a growing legal storm over the UK Government’s controversial 5G rollout policy – a policy critics say is slowing progress, not speeding it up.

In 2017, ministers promised a faster, cheaper path to mobile connectivity by changing the law to let telecoms companies pay landowners far less for installing masts. But instead of unleashing 5G, the new rules have triggered a wave of legal battles – and rural Wales is bearing the brunt.

Thomas Richards from Llangennech, who agreed to host a mast in 2016 for around £5,500 a year, was stunned when the new rules allowed the telecoms company to revise their offer to just £3.50 a year.

“Negotiations were very stressful. I felt we were taken advantage of as a family,” he said. “I can’t believe the government is allowing this to happen. Who is going to want a mast on their land now?”

His case is one of more than a dozen disputes across Wales, all stemming from the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code.

Wales is now a legal hotspot for telecom disputes, with more than 14 tribunal cases since 2021. These include disputes with Cardiff International Airport, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, and farmers in Snowdonia and Powys.

The number of mast-related legal cases across the UK has surged from just 33 in the 30 years before the code change to more than 1,100 since 2017.

Many site owners – from farmers and churches to care homes and sports clubs – have reported rent drops of 90 percent or more, often with little say in the matter. Campaign group Protect and Connect say some landowners feel bullied and cornered.

In one case, a hill farmer in North Wales saw his annual rent slashed from £5,500 to £3.50. A park visitor centre lost £9,800 a year in mast income, damaging their ability to operate. A church in mid Wales was left scrambling to pay heating bills after its mast rent collapsed.

In response, telecom companies argue that the changes were necessary to stop landowners charging what they call ransom rents that stalled network upgrades. The UK Government insists the reforms are about making digital connectivity affordable and universal.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it wants fairer, faster and more collaborative negotiations, and introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act in 2022 to encourage dispute resolution.

But critics, including the Farmers’ Union of Wales, say the reforms have gone too far. One landowner was offered just £32 total for a 10-year lease – down from an earlier offer of £4,650 per year.

In Pembrokeshire, the battle over connectivity has a familiar ring. Residents in Tenby have been complaining about poor mobile signal for years, with tourists flooding in each summer only worsening the problem.

County Councillor Michael Williams said: “All the providers are blaming visitor numbers, but that excuse doesn’t justify the charges people are paying. It’s the same problem every year.”

One resident told The Herald he had missed hospital appointments because of poor signal. Businesses relying on card machines and mobile bookings say the network failures cost them money and reputation.

Efforts to install a 20-metre mast in Tenby to ease pressure have stalled due to planning objections within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Officials say it’s a difficult balance between connectivity and conservation.

Another controversial mast plan in the Preseli Hills was recently rejected due to its visual impact. Despite the potential to improve rural signal, inspectors upheld objections that it would harm the landscape.

In Cardiff and other urban areas, rooftop masts are also facing disputes over low renewal offers, showing this issue is not confined to the countryside.

Official Ofcom figures show Wales lags behind on mobile coverage. Only 62 percent of land area in Wales has 4G from all four major networks. In some rural constituencies, that figure drops below 50 percent. Superfast broadband access in Pembrokeshire stands at around 93 percent, still below the Welsh average.

Broadband tells a similar tale of two Waleses. Overall, about 96 percent of homes in Wales can access superfast broadband via fixed lines or wireless solutions – roughly on par with the UK average. But rural counties lag behind. Powys has the lowest superfast availability at just 84 percent of premises. Ceredigion is at 86 percent. Pembrokeshire stands around 93 percent – better, but still below the Welsh average. When it comes to future-proofed networks, the gap is starker: only 40 percent of premises in Pembrokeshire have access to full-fibre broadband so far, compared to nearly 70 percent of premises in Cardiff.

Some relief for landowners has started to arrive via the courts. In a recent case, the Upper Tribunal increased the annual rent for a greenfield mast site from £750 to £1,750, after ruling that the earlier valuation was too low. Farming unions hailed the decision, but warned it was still far below the market rates common before 2017.

Campaigners and MPs are now urging a review of the policy before new rules expand the same approach to 15,000 more sites across the UK. Legal experts warn the number of tribunal cases could double again if this happens.

Telecoms industry representatives argue that the reforms were needed to break deadlock and reduce deployment costs. They say most landowners still agree terms without dispute, and that masts are essential national infrastructure, not just commercial equipment.

But for rural communities, that message is wearing thin. Many feel they are being asked to sacrifice land, income and peace of mind – all while still waiting for improved service.

In Tenby, local plasterer Ben Jones says poor signal is costing him work. “I’ve missed bookings from clients because they couldn’t get through,” he said. “One customer said it took him five tries to make contact.”

Another resident, Paul, told The Herald he had missed hospital calls and emergency transport arrangements due to unreliable signal. “It’s ridiculous that in 2025, my phone signal is worse than it was in the 1990s,” he said.

Shops relying on mobile card machines also report frequent outages. One shop owner said: “It’s embarrassing having to explain to customers that we can’t process a payment because the network’s gone down again.”

There is growing consensus that progress on connectivity must be matched by fairness for those who host it. As the Carmarthenshire farmer put it: “I want better signal too. But not if it means giving up my land for pennies.”

Bridging the digital divide in Wales may require more than telecom towers. It may demand trust, balance, and real partnership between the countryside and the companies trying to connect it.

Business

Senedd approves £116m transitional relief for business rates

Published

14 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

BUSINESSES facing sharp hikes in tax bills after the 2026 revaluation will see increases phased in over two years after the Senedd backed a new transitional relief scheme.

Senedd Members unanimously approved regulations to help businesses which face significant rises in non-domestic rates bills after a revaluation taking effect in April 2026.

The Welsh Government estimates the transitional relief will support 25,000 ratepayers at a cost of £77m in 2026/27 and £39m in 2027/28. The partial relief covers 67% of the increase in the first year and 34% in the second.

Mark Drakeford, Wales’ finance secretary, stressed the £116m scheme comes on top of permanent rate reliefs which are currently worth £250m a year. He said ratepayers for two-thirds of properties will pay no bill at all or receive some level of relief.

The former First Minister told the Senedd: “In providing this transitional relief scheme, we are closely replicating the scheme of relief we provided following the 2023 revaluation – supporting all areas of the tax base in a consistent and straightforward manner.”

The Conservatives’ Sam Rowlands expressed his party’s support for the transitional relief scheme which will help ratepayers facing sharp increases after the 2026 revaluation.

He said: “We are grateful that the Welsh Government has at least brought forward a scheme that will soften the immediate impact for thousands of Welsh businesses.

“We also understand that if these regulations are not approved or supported… this relief scheme will not be in existence. Many businesses across Wales would face steep increases with no protection at all and that is certainly not an outcome we would want.”

But the shadow finance secretary warned businesses up and down Wales are worried about the increase in rates that they are liable to pay.

Advocating scrapping rates for all small businesses in Wales, Mr Rowlands said: “We’ve heard first-hand from many of those in the hospitality and leisure sector, some of whom are facing increases of over 100% in the tax rates they are expected to pay.”

Responding as the Senedd signed off on the scheme on December 16, Prof Drakeford said the Welsh Government had to wait for the UK budget to know if funding was available. As a result of the time constraints, the regulations were not subject to formal consultation.

Prof Drakeford agreed with Mr Rowlands that voting against the regulations would not improve support, only eliminate the transitional relief package before the Senedd.

Earlier in Tuesday’s Senedd proceedings, former Tory group leader Paul Davies warned Welsh businesses have already been hit with some of the highest business rates in the UK.

He said: “The latest business rates revaluation has meant that some businesses are now facing rises of several hundred per cent compared with previous assessments…

“Whilst I appreciate that a transitional relief scheme will help some businesses manage these changes, the reality is that for many businesses it’s not enough and some businesses will be forced into a position where they will have to close.”

Business

Pembrokeshire industrial jobs ‘could be at risk’ as parties clash over investment

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TRADE unions have warned that hundreds of industrial jobs in Pembrokeshire could be at risk without stronger long-term support for Welsh manufacturing, as political parties set out competing approaches ahead of the Senedd elections.

TUC Cymru says its analysis suggests 939 industrial jobs in Pembrokeshire could be vulnerable if investment in clean industrial upgrades were withdrawn, warning that policies proposed by Reform UK, and to a lesser extent the Conservatives, pose the greatest risk to industrial employment.

The warning comes as the union body launched its “Save Welsh Industry – No More Site Closures!” campaign at events in Deeside and Swansea, calling on all political parties to commit to a five-point plan to protect and future-proof Welsh industry.

According to TUC Cymru, jobs at risk locally include 434 in automotive supply chains, 183 in rubber and plastics and 75 in glass manufacturing. The union body says these sectors rely on continued investment to remain competitive and avoid offshoring.

TUC Cymru said its modelling focused on industries most exposed to closure or relocation if industrial modernisation and decarbonisation are not delivered. It argues that without sustained public and private investment, Welsh manufacturing faces further decline.

A GMB member working at Valero in Pembrokeshire said: “It’s clear Nigel Farage has no clear plan. I can see this industry collapsing under his policies. We need support, not division. His way will lead to job losses across the board and the lights will go out.”

The union body stressed that all parties need to strengthen their industrial policies, but claimed Reform UK’s stated opposition to net zero-related investment would place the largest number of jobs at risk across Wales, estimating that almost 40,000 industrial jobs nationally could be affected. Conservative policies were also criticised, though the TUC said the likelihood of job losses under the Conservatives was lower.

Labour has rejected claims that Welsh industry is being neglected, pointing to recent investment announcements made at the Wales Investment Summit, where more than £16bn worth of projects were highlighted as being in the pipeline across Wales.

Ministers said the summit demonstrated growing investor confidence, with projects linked to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, ports, digital infrastructure and battery storage, and thousands of jobs expected as schemes move from planning into delivery.

Labour has argued that public investment is being used to unlock private sector funding, particularly in industrial regions, and says modernising industry is essential to keeping Welsh manufacturing competitive while protecting long-term employment.

At UK level, the party has also highlighted its National Wealth Fund and GB Energy commitments, which it says will support domestic supply chains, reduce long-term energy costs for industry and help secure both existing and future jobs.

Opposition parties and some business groups have questioned whether all announced projects will translate into permanent employment, arguing that greater clarity is needed on timescales and delivery.

Reform UK has argued that scrapping net zero policies would cut public spending and reduce costs for households and businesses, while the Conservatives have pledged to roll back climate-related targets and reduce regulation on industry.

Unions dispute those claims, warning that higher electricity prices and a lack of investment would make Welsh industry less competitive internationally.

TUC Cymru President Tom Hoyles said Welsh industry needed urgent action from all parties to survive and thrive in the 21st century, warning that policies which sought to turn back the clock could put thousands of Welsh jobs at risk.

With industrial areas including Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire also identified as facing significant pressures, the future of Welsh manufacturing is expected to remain a key political issue in the run-up to the Senedd elections.

Business

New digital toolkit aims to future-proof rural Welsh businesses in AI search era

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A NEW digital toolkit developed in Ceredigion is being hailed as a potential game-changer for small businesses in rural Wales, as artificial intelligence reshapes how customers discover local services online.

Created by Antur Cymru Enterprise, the SMART Busnes programme is giving Welsh SMEs an early foothold in Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – a rapidly emerging discipline focused on how businesses appear within AI-generated search responses.

As AI-driven tools increasingly replace traditional search results with instant, conversational answers, SMART Busnes – supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – has launched one of the first practical AEO toolkits available in Wales.

The initiative is being led by Digital Business Advisor Lynne Rees and centres on a new insight framework known as Agentic AEO. The approach is designed to help rural and micro-businesses remain visible online as search engines and AI platforms prioritise structured, easily interpreted information over conventional keyword-based webpages.

Kevin Harrington, Project Manager for SMART Busnes, said the shift represents a fundamental change in how businesses need to think about their online presence.

“AI search is here to stay, and our Agentic AEO insight series isn’t a tweak – it’s a reset,” he said.

“It’s about helping Welsh SMEs show up wherever customers search: on Google, on social media, and increasingly within AI-generated answers. This gives rural businesses access to the kind of digital advantage that large brands often pay thousands of pounds for.”

Traditional search engine optimisation is already being overtaken by AI-led systems such as Google’s Search Generative Experience and tools like ChatGPT, which provide direct responses rather than lists of links.

For small businesses, this presents a growing risk. If online content is not structured in a way AI tools can understand, businesses may fall below the point where potential customers ever see them.

Agentic AEO focuses on improving clarity, structure and user intent across websites, social media platforms and Google Business Profiles. By presenting information in formats AI systems can easily process, businesses can improve both visibility and credibility within automated responses.

The SMART Busnes AEO Insight Series provides practical support, including step-by-step guidance on restructuring webpages, examples of effective layouts, and tailored AI prompts to help business owners produce optimised content quickly and affordably. Even modest changes – such as a website review, targeted content update or short advisory session – can influence how a business appears in search results over the coming year.

Antur Cymru chief executive Bronwen Raine said the programme was designed to help businesses adapt to long-term change.

“SMART Busnes was created to support small businesses through change, not simply to chase trends,” she said.

“The Agentic AEO insight series shows how Shared Prosperity Fund investment is driving genuine innovation, building confidence, skills and sustainability across local economies.”

With many SEO providers in Wales still focused on older techniques, SMART Busnes is positioning Ceredigion and the wider Mid and West Wales region at the forefront of AEO adoption.

By translating emerging digital theory into accessible, practical support, the programme aims to strengthen resilience among rural enterprises and ensure they remain visible, trusted and competitive in an AI-led future.

More information about SMART Busnes and the support offered by Antur Cymru Enterprise is available via the organisation’s website.