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Mono Pole and associated cabinets FOR Sure (IOM) Ltd AT Sure Site 56 Vacant plot Woodbourne Lane Douglas, IOM
Permitted Development (Telecommunications) Application for Prior Approval Supporting Statement
DATE: 11 March 2020 PREPARED BY: Steven Allan Sure IOM Ltd
Sure IOM REF: Site 56 Woodbourne Lane
In 2006/7 Sure Isle of Man Limited (Sure) was awarded an Isle of Man (IOM) Mobile Operators Licence, issued by the island's Communications Commission, to provide a mobile phone network and services to the island's inhabitants and visitors. This service competes with the incumbent operator (Manx Telecom) and allows greater choice and competition for consumers and businesses.
The mobile phone network consists of a number of sites that house various pieces of equipment to provide coverage in the vicinity, such as panel antennae, and also transmission dishes that link sites together. Combined with other sites they are designed to provide an extensive, continuous network.
Sure will endeavour, whenever possible, to install its equipment on existing infrastructure or radio transmitters. The aim is always to minimise the visual impact of providing mobile phone network infrastructure.
Where this is not possible, and it is necessary to introduce additional telecommunications infrastructure, this supporting statement will justify why the infrastructure is required and demonstrate that the best possible design available for the site has been identified, keeping visual impact and amenity a priority at all times.
It will also help to explain the decisions which led to the specific location being chosen and will outline which alternatives were considered and discounted.
A variety of supporting information may be included with each application but ultimately Sure aim is to minimise the number of new structures and reduce the visual impact of the network, whilst providing sufficient signal strength to provide coverage for customers to take advantage of a range of Sure's services.
For the avoidance of doubt: a cell site, as referred to in this document, is a combination of equipment including cabinets, antennae and structures, required to facilitate the operation of a mobile phone cell.
The proposed development will consist of a single 15 metre tall Shrouded Monopole including antenna and 5 small cabinets housing all the electrical equipment required. The electrical cabinets will be screened from view by a 1.8 -metre-tall wooden fence. This proposed development meets the Requirements of the Town and country Planning (Telecommunications) Development Order 2019, Schedule 2, other than it is within the Selborne Drive, Conservation area. This type of Mast design has been specifically chosen as it has all structure mounted equipment within the shroud. The hight of 15 metres is to allow a radio propagation path above properties immediately surrounding the proposed location.
The proposed development site is located on a vacant plot of land on Woodbourne Lane, to the rear of 8 to 12 Woodbourne Villas, Alexander Drive, Douglas. The location of the site has been chosen so as to meet the criteria for Pre-approval for permitted development (Telecommunications) with in a conservation area.
The location and appearance have been carefully considered to best hide the existence of the mast for public view, other than from a 60 metre stretch of Woodbourne Lane.
Should this application be approved, Sure do not intend to submit any further Planning or Preapproval for permitted development applications in the area of Selbourne Road or Woodbourne Road for the foreseeable future. As this Site would fully meet the needs of residents in this area.
There has been a level of discussion between Sure and the IOM Planning department, in relation to a mast development in this area.
16/01298/C For temporary car parking which was refused
Sure mobile phone network coverage in the area round Woodbourne Road is very poor due to the lack of a Sure mast in the area. Without the development of a site in this area there is no prospect of a 5G deployment or even reliable 2G, 3G or4G services for the residents of this area. People are becoming more and more reliant on Mobile technology as part of their everyday life. That access to modern telecommunications is now considered a need, in the same way access to water and electricity in considered a need, is now accepted. Sure, customers who live in the conservation areas in this part of Douglas, do not have access to these services because there is no suitable mast for them to connect to. We have been looking for a potential mast site in this area for 12 years, this proposal represents the best technical solution we have yet to find.
This Proposed site will also reduce the load (congestion) on the adjacent heavily congested Sure Mobile sites at Capital House, Circular Road, Pulrose Power station and The Police Headquarters. Dukes Road, significantly improving the service provided to Sure customers though a large part of Douglas
The Isle of Man Government recently launched its Digital Inclusion Strategy 2016-2021.It recognises the importance of online access and brings together partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to help people get online. It's part of the Government's Digital Strategy, which aims to bring more services online and help more people to access them.
The strategy notes the benefits of helping more people to get online including access to training and jobs, social and leisure activities and how it can help to address wider social issues and support economic growth.
Good connectivity is vital to support this strategy and ensuring areas of the island, such as Woodbourne Road area are able to access the latest in mobile technology is therefore key.
The accompanying coverage plots show the significantly improved coverage this proposed site is expected to provide. We anticipate that up to 800 homes will benefit from the improvement in coverage this site would provide
Permited developemnt pre-approval Support Statement Woodbourne Lane Expected coverage should the proposed site be approved (primary within the Red circle): Current coverage in Woodbourne road area As the above shows outdoor coverage is outdoor generally acceptable however indoor is very poor in the target area.
The proposed site does not have a specific or restrictive designation under the 1982 Development Plan, nor does it fall within an area of restricted building height due to Air Safety.
This site has been designed in accordance with the current mainland UK Cellular operator's guidance for both Occupational and Public ICNIRP compliance. Our design team is satisfied that this site design complies with the above guidelines and therefore a signed ICNIRP certificate is enclosed with this application.
Page 25 under Communications Commission Aims & Objectives Section: Objective: Social inclusion – to enhance access to services for the whole population:
> "We will enforce universal service obligations by telecoms operators with significant market power. They must provide telephone services throughout the Island."
> "We will encourage increased mast sharing by broadcasters, under the Radio Masts Regulation Act Limitations."
Page 101: "A balance must be struck between the need for new, evolving communications systems to satisfy residential and business demand and the impact that the necessary infrastructure will have upon the environment. Measures which may help to achieve a satisfactory balance will include a presumption against visually intrusive masts in sensitive landscapes, the encouragement of mast sharing by different operators, and the removal of redundant infrastructure. Exceptions to this policy would need to demonstrate a strategic national need, which cannot be otherwise secured by mast sharing or alternative locations."
https://issuu.com/isleofmangovernment/docs/digital_strategy_v0.1?e=17903168/13316277
https://www.gov.im/media/1352205/digital-inclusion-strategy-july-2016.pdf
1.3 "Most people take digital technology and the internet for granted. It is something that has become so deeply embedded in daily life that it is hard to function when access to it is lost." 2.3 "In line with providing more digital services, Government needs to ensure that residents of the island are equipped with the access, skills, motivation and trust to go online, to help those who want to be digitally capable to make the most of the internet."
Sure IOM Ltd believes the proposed installation complies with the island's policies and strategies above.
To summarise, we consider that this application suggests the optimum location and design for a proposed site.
The current mobile network coverage plots, combined with the number of customer complaints received, demonstrate that there is a definite need for a site in this area to alleviate the extremely poor mobile network coverage in the area. The coverage plots provided in this application show the significant improvement to the customer experience that a site in this location would achieve.
The location and appearance have been carefully considered to best hide the existence of the mast for public view, other than from a 60 metre stretch of Woodbourne Lane.
Therefore, the design proposed represents both the optimum planning, environmental and technical solutions in this instance. This proposed solution would address the very real need the residents of the Woodbourne road area have for access to 21st century telecommunications. As such, we believe the development as proposed is in accordance with planning guidance as defined above.
Sure (Isle of Man) Ltd declares that the proposed equipment and installation as detailed in the attached planning at:
Sure Site IOM 56 Woodboume Lane Douglas Isle of Man Easting 237567 Northing 476345 Is designed to be in full compliance with the requirements of the radio frequency (RF) public exposure guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP), as expressed in EU Council recommendation of 12 July 1999 "on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields ( 0 Hz to 300 GHz )". Reference: 1999/519/EC
Name \& Position: Steven Allan/ Mobile Network Engineer
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