A hit to the cellular companies: they will be obligated to compensate for property value reduction because of the cellular antennas

By Dror Marmur
Maarive Business

After the communication minister's statement that the cellular companies will have to reduce the tarifs of the cellular calls [the companies are going to appeal to the supreme court, it is estimated that they will lose 2 billion shekels a year if that will happen], the cellular companies got a second serious hit also in the national council for construction and planning [2 hits in one week]. The council decided that the companies will be obliged from now on to pay for every property value reduction where there are cellular antennas erected. The national council, in the authority of Gidon Bar Lev decided on addition to the national planning programme for small and tiny transmission installations ("Tam"a 36 A"). The addition forces giving compensation document by the cellular companies to the local committee, as a condition for permission to erect cellular antennas. The council emphasized that the compensation documents are to ensure that the local committees for construction and planning will not have to pay compensations (clause 197 in the construction and planning law), if they will be sued in the future for loss of property value due to cellular antennas erection. In case of such a future lawsuit, the cellular companies will pay. The change is going to pass to the government approval.

Informant: Iris Atzmon