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Our ref: 73276/Port St Mary/C&W/BMS
Date: 12 April 2007
Department of Local Government and the Environment Planning and Building Control Directorate First Floor Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2SF
0700730
RECEIVED ON 16 APR 2007
FAO: Mr Ian Brooks
Dear Mr Brooks
National Grid Wireless on behalf of Cable and Wireless Isle of Man Ltd Proposed Relocation of Equipment Cabinets and installation of a 1.2m dish at the Existing Telecommunications Mast, Port St Mary Golf Club, Port St Mary, Isle of Man IM9 5DG
Submission of Planning Application
Further to the planning approval (Ref: 06/02259/B) and the expiry of the 21 day period for an appeal that was confirmed in your letter dated 3 April for the installation of equipment cabinets at the above site, we have pleasure in enclosing the above planning application.
As you are aware following the Planning Directorate’s assessment of the proposals we received your Authorities formal written response dated 14 December 2006. This response stated that the proposed installation of the three antennas and four 0.6m dishes on to the existing telecommunications mast is not development and as such requires no formal planning consent. However, a full planning application would be required to be submitted with respect to the erection of new ground based equipment. Hence the submission and subsequent approval of application (Ref: 06/02259/B).
The drawings subject of this application show a slightly amended location for the cabinets within the overall compound of this established telecommunications site. This amendment is the same as that sent through to you on both 13 February 2007 and 13 March 2007. Although we have not received a formal response to our letters we understand from our discussion on 16 March 2007 that a new full planning submission is required for the amended cabinet locations. Hence, the submission of this application.
Furthermore, as set out in our letter dated 13 March 2007 and as shown on the attached drawings the technical requirements of Cable and Wireless Isle of Man Ltd has altered and they no longer require the full complement of four 0.6m dishes as already consented. Their requirement has altered from four 0.6m dishes at 25m to one 0.6m dish and one 1.2m dish at 25m.
As you are aware the dishes did not form part of the above consent since your Authority had previously confirmed in your letter dated 14 December 2006 that the Cable and Wireless dishes and antennas on this established telecommunications mast were not development. However, although we have had no formal confirmation you have indicated in our discussion on 2 April 2007 that your Authority 'may' take the view that a full planning submission will be required for the 1.2m dish.
We would still wish for the amendment to the dish requirements of Cable and Wireless Isle of Man Ltd to be considered as not development in line with your earlier responses. However, without prejudice and in the event that you conclude the dish to be development the 1.2m dish has been included within this application.
The application has been prepared in accordance with the advice provided from discussions as well as the meeting held with the Planning Directorate on 12 December 2006.
In consequence National Grid Wireless on behalf of Cable and Wireless Isle of Man submit herewith a planning application for the installation of telecommunications apparatus at the above site. We accordingly enclose the following:
i. Four completed copies of the planning application forms. ii. Four copies of an O.S. site plan scale (1:2500) reference 16636.005/1 showing the red line area. iii. Four copies of the site location map reference 16636.004/1 iv. Four copies of the site plan and elevation plan references 16636_28_150_M03_03, 16636_28_100_M03_03 and 16636_28_160_M03_03 v. No fee is enclosed as agreed with Ian Brooks on the basis that the proposals form an amendment to a recently submitted full planning application vi. Copy of the Notice sent to the Landowner
Mobile phone operator Cable and Wireless are one of two new operators that have recently been licensed by the Communications Commission to offer mobile telephone services in the Isle of Man. The licensing of these new operators has introduced the advent of competition into the mobile telephone market on the island and the Communications Commission believes that this approach will provide customers with a real choice.
In order for Cable and Wireless to offer a choice to local residents and businesses they need to develop a completely new network of mobile telephone sites on the island. In accordance with advice from the Communications Commission and planning guidance Cable and Wireless are seeking to share existing telecommunications facilities that already exist on the island.
National Grid Wireless is a radio site management company that owns or controls a significant proportion of the communications infrastructure suitable for use for electronic communications purposes both in the UK and in the Isle of Man. This includes a number of masts providing television and radio broadcast services. The existing telecommunications mast on the golf course at Port St Mary is one such structure.
The proposed development relates to an amendment in the location of ground based telecommunications apparatus for Cable and Wireless at the existing telecommunications site plus the installation of a 1.2m dish at 25m on the existing telecommunications mast at the Port St Mary golf course, in order to enable them to offer mobile phone services to the residents of the island.
The development proposed at this site is one of a number of applications by Cable and Wireless to develop a new mobile phone network on the island. This site will enable a new mobile operator to offer their services to the residents of the Isle of Man and in particular provide coverage to the village of Port St Mary.
This work is of national importance since it will create competition within the mobile phone market and enable a greater range of services to be offered to the residents and businesses of the island.
This application is in respect of the installation of telecommunications equipment by National Grid Wireless on behalf of Cable and Wireless at the site of the existing 50m lattice telecommunications mast on the Port St Mary Golf Course, Port St Mary IM9 5DG.
The telecommunication mast site at the Port St Mary golf course comprises an existing 50m lattice mast, which accommodates broadcast equipment plus emergency services equipment and mobile phone apparatus on behalf of Manx Telecom. At ground level there exists an equipment room for National Grid Wireless that accommodates the broadcast equipment, an equipment room for the Communications Commission that accommodates the emergency services equipment, plus an equipment cabin for Manx Telecom. The mast and ground based equipment are all located within a concrete post and chainlink fenced compound.
The site is an established telecommunications site positioned on part of the Port St Mary golf course located above the village of Port St Mary and some 250m from the nearest residential properties.
As mentioned above the development subject of this application relates to the installation of a 1.2m dish at 25m plus an amendment to the already approved ground based equipment
cabinets and meter cabinet as well as the installation of cabling and associated development within the existing fenced compound.
We are aware that there were no objections to application ref: 06/02259/B for the cabinets and with the relocation bringing the cabinets closer to the buildings already located on the site we consider that these changes do not materially impact the overall scheme and if anything bring about an improvement to the proposals.
The equipment cabinets are to be located within the existing fenced compound. The locations of the proposed cabinets are detailed on the attached drawings. As set out in our letter dated 13 March 2007, to which we await a formal response, we propose to colour coat the cabinets green.
The proposed 1.2m dish is to replace three already agreed 0.6m dishes at the same height. As you will be aware from our letter dated 13 March 2007 considering the scale of the proposed development in relation to the existing ground based equipment, the size of the existing mast and the volume of dishes already to be sited at this location on the mast it is our opinion that the installation of the 1.2m dish could be considered as 'not development'.
Access to the site is currently gained via a track from the main road some 250m to the south west of the site. No amendments to this access route as shown on the attached drawings are proposed as a result of these proposals. Indeed, once constructed, no significant increases in the level of visits to this unmanned installation are envisaged.
The 1982 Development Plan, as amended by the various adopted Local Plans, provides the planning and land use designations and guidance for the Isle of Man. A Strategic Plan that intends to bring together and update the general planning policies in respect of the development and other use of land in the island is currently being drafted. The Strategic Plan will provide the strategic and general policy framework for development for the period 2001-2016.
Following public consultation the Planning Directorate produced proposed modifications to the plan in November 2004 for consideration at the public inquiry. The Strategic Plan currently has gone through the Inquiry and the Planning Directorate is considering the Inspector's report. The Strategic Plan will not be formally adopted until the Planning Directorate have published a notice of proposed modifications following a review of the Inspectors Report and after a period of consultation and assessment of any further representations.
Despite the Strategic Plan not being formally adopted it does provide an indication of the island's general strategic planning guidance. Of particular relevance is the core strategic aim of the Plan that is to plan for the efficient and effective provision of services and infrastructure and to direct and control development and use of land to meet the community's needs whilst having regard to the principles of sustainability and the protection and improvement of the environment.
Furthermore, Infrastructure Policy 4 of this Plan makes reference to a balance being required between the need for new communications systems for residents and businesses and the
impact of such proposals on the environment. The encouragement of mast sharing is explicitly stated as one measure that can help to achieve such a balance.
These proposals aim to enable a new mobile phone operator to develop a network on the island and seek to make use of an existing and established telecommunications site. In consequence these proposals are considered to be in full accordance with the Government's key strategic policy objectives.
In addition, no extension to the site is required as part of these proposals with the whole development contained within the existing fenced compound. Furthermore, the proposals for the installation of a 1.2m dish to replace three 0.6m dishes plus the amendment of previously consented ground based equipment cabinets, an electricity meter cabinet plus ancillary development relates to development that has in principle already been accepted and is smaller in scale than the existing two equipment rooms and large equipment cabin already located on this site. The proposals will also not significantly increase the level of traffic to the site or alter the existing access arrangement to the site from the highway. As such the impact of the proposals on the environment is considered minimal and not contrary to any site specific land use planning policies.
In accordance with planning guidance prior consultation has been undertaken with the local planning authority.
As part of the recently consented scheme for Cable and Wireless Isle of Man Ltd at this site the need to only consult with the Planning Directorate prior to the submission of that application was agreed. The approval of this application with no objections has not indicated any proposed amendment to this scope of consultation.
The proposals subject of this application has had regard to the advice offered by the Planning Directorate.
In accordance with Government advice the proposals by this new mobile phone operator is to make use of an existing and well established telecommunications site.
No amendment to the size of the existing site is proposed and as illustrated in the response letter from the Planning Directorate dated 14 December 2006 and the approval of planning application ref 06/02259/B the use of this existing site for the addition of further telecommunications equipment is considered acceptable.
The amendment in the location of the radio equipment cabinets will bring these approved features closer to the existing buildings on the site and although will have minimal impact on the overall development are considered to be an improvement to the recently approved proposals ref 06/02259/B.
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