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RECEIVED ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS INSTALLATION FOR CABLE & WIRELESS ISLE OF MAN LIMITED AT
Island Studios Ltd Jurby Road Ramsey IM7 3ED
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
DATE: 4th December 2006
PREPARED BY:
CH2M HILL
CH2MHILL
CABLE & WIRELESS ISLE OF MAN REF: 103- Island Studios CABLE & WIRELESS
Cable and Wireless Isle of Man Limited (C & W) have recently been awarded an Isle of Man (IOM) Mobile Operators License issued by the Island's Communications Commission to provide a mobile phone network and service to the Island's inhabitants and visitors. This service will compete with the incumbent operator (Manx Telecom) and will allow greater choice and competition for the consumers.
The Mobile phone network will consist of a number of sites that have a combination of equipment, such as panel antenna that provide coverage in the vicinity and also transmission dishes that link sites together and with others in the wider network to provide continuous coverage throughout the Island.
Where possible C&W will endeavour to install their equipment on existing infrastructure or radio transmitters. The aim always is to minimise the visual impact of providing this new mobile phone network.
Where this is not possible and it is necessary to introduce additional telecommunications infrastructure onto the Island this supporting statement will justify both why the infrastructure is required and demonstrate that the best possible available site has been identified keeping visual amenity as a priority at all times.
It will also help to explain the decisions which led to the specific location being chosen and what alternatives were discounted.
A variety of supporting information may be included with each application but ultimately the C&W aim is to minimise the number of new structures and the overall visual impact of the network whilst providing sufficient signal strength to provide coverage for customers to take advantage of the C&W services that will become available.
The proposed development will consist of two telecom equipment cabinets and electrical meter cabinet set within a 1.8m steel mesh fenced compound of 6.8m by 3.8m. This will be protected from vehicles in the private studio car park by an Armco Barrier.
A total of three panel antennas and two 300mm dishes will be placed on pole mounts attached to the steelwork of the existing building. Two are to be placed on the South East elevation along with a single 300mm dish. One antenna and a further 300mm dish are to be placed on the North West elevation.
Dishes antennas and steel mountings are all to be painted to match the existing profile steel cladding of the building.
See attached General Arrangement drawings for details
The proposed development site is to be located adjacent to large Film Studio / industrial buildings. This is a large modern 14.5m high unit made of green coloured profile steel cladding with a steel frame.
We have positioned our ground based telecommunications cabinets at ground level adjacent to the unit and are placing the antennas and dishes on steel poles which will be directly fixed to the buildings steel columns.
The location of the structure has been carefully considered so the ground based equipment will be screened by the backdrop of the industrial unit and painted to blend in to the large structure next to it. The antennas and dishes are again to be painted to match the green of the existing building. The steelwork of the building is being used to enable two of the antennas to be placed just above the roofline of the structure to the South East Elevation.
On the North West Elevation the antenna and dish are to be placed below the roofline.
We believe this very effectively allows us to get the height required by using existing infrastructure rather than having to develop a new monopole structure.
The site is being used to cover Northern and Western areas of Ramsey a relatively dense area of Residential properties. It also provides coverage to the A13 down to its junction with the B14 as well as the A3 towards Glentramman.
North Ramsey has no existing Telecoms structures we could use and there are no other buildings that were considered appropriate to cover this area due to the fact that none had the height. The area is predominantly residential and there are no other buildings or structures we were able to discount due to no other options being available.
This building offers the best opportunity for us to get coverage into the target area. We are positioned further West than we would ideally like but by raising the antenna approximately 3m from the top of the structure we are able to get the penetration we require to the top of Ramsey. In order to reduce visual amenity we have kept the antenna and dish facing West below the roofline of the structure to reduce the effect on visual amenity still further.
We do not feel that any other building / site location can offer us a better opportunity to provide effective coverage.
We have met on several occasions with Ian Brooks to discuss various proposals including this site.
Mr Brooks has accepted the fact that it is best to use existing infrastructure. He made us aware of the sensitive nature of this location due to previous non telecoms applications on the site some of which have failed. He said that the merits of this particular scheme can be viewed in more detail with a formal application and drawings.
An extra elevation was requested by the planner and this has been included in the general arrangement drawings attached.
We are not aware of any other telecoms applications in the immediate vicinity.
Please see the plots provided. This site provides coverage to the North and West of Ramsey. This area is particularly important due to the fact that it covers a relatively dense residential area as well as a long stretch of a busy road (the A13) which runs between Ramsey and Jurby.
The location of the structure has been carefully considered. We are using an existing structure to attach the antennas and dishes and locating our ground based equipment adjacent to a large structure so the ground based equipment has little effect on visual amenity.
The antennas are being placed on steel supports using the height of the existing buildings steelwork to avoid having to build a new lattice or monopole structure.
The equipment including Cabinets antennas and Dishes are all to be coloured to match the large existing structure and therefore again reduce the visual impact of the development.
As with the whole of this area the site is designated as ‘high landscape value’ under the 1982 Development Plan. We have reviewed the draft strategic plan in order that we adhere to the requirements and directives contained therein wherever possible. The following was particularly noted
1.6.1 “where unusual matters arise, or where there is no Manx guidance, it will often be appropriate and helpful to have regard to legal judgements or advice published in the UK or the EU” In cases where there is no clear guidance we have followed the UK best practice as outlined in PPG8.
It was evident from the 6 main strategic aims looking at maintaining ‘Quality of Life’ then there must be a balance between economic progress in the pursuit of “manageable and sustainable growth” 2.3(2) and the need “to protect and improve the quality of the environment” 2.3(4)
This is further highlighted as follows
3.3 (d) - "to protect the individual character of and identity of settlements and to identify and protect those green spaces in built areas which contribute positively to public amenity".
3.4 (c) - "to safeguard and provide for the needs and aspirations of existing and new location dependant businesses". Within the transport and Communications section it states 3.5 (h) – "to ensure that the island is well served by modern telecommunications without compromising the protection of our landscape". Finally within Transport Infrastructure and Utilities
11.9.2 – "It is important that a balance be struck between the need for a new evolving telecommunications systems to satisfy residential and business demand and the impact that the necessary infrastructure will have on 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.
With regard to policy we have utilised an existing structure that was available to us. We believe that the design and location have been carefully considered in this instance and we also believe we have demonstrated the importance of this site to give vital coverage. This therefore forms an important part of this 'national need' to provide the Isle of Man with a competitive mobile network.
This site has been designed in accordance with the current mainland UK Cellular operators guidance for both Occupational & Public ICNIRP compliance. Our design consultants are satisfied that this site design complies with the above guidelines and therefore a signed ICNIRP certificate is enclosed with this application.
1) Isle of Man Government Statutory Boards, Offices & Agencies Plans 2006-2009. Volume 3.
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, ..".
2) Isle of Man Government Statutory Boards, Offices & Agencies Plans 2005-2008. Volume 3
Page 20, under Communications Commission Aims & Objectives Section:
Objective: The Built Environment – to reduce the visual impact of telecommunications and radio infrastructure on the Island's landscape:
"We will encourage increased mast sharing by broadcasters, under the Radio Masts Regulation Act Limitations".
Cable and Wireless believe the installation complies with the Islands Telecoms Policies above.
We consider in summary therefore a) There is a definite need for the site to provide important coverage to North and West Ramsey and the A13 and A3. b) The siting and appearance has been carefully considered to provide the least visual impact possible.
The design proposed represents both the optimum planning/environmental and technical solution in this instance. As such the development as proposed is in accordance with planning guidance as defined above.
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