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Replacement Structure FOR Sure (IOM) Ltd AT Sure Site 03 Ballahick Farm Ballasalla Isle of Man IM9 2AD Planning Application Supporting Statement
DATE: 1st March 2024 PREPARED BY: Alex Taylor Sure IOM Ltd
In 2006/7 Sure Isle of Man Limited (Sure) was awarded an Isle of Man (IOM) Mobile Operators Licence, issued by the Islands Communications Commission (CURA), to provide a mobile phone network and services to the Islands inhabitants and visitors. This service competes with the incumbent operator (Manx Telecom) and allows greater choice and competition for consumers and businesses.
The Sure Mobile Network is made up of multiple sites around the Island, these mobile sites use radio equipment to provide mobile coverage around the Island, this equipment includes mobile panel antennas, radio equipment and also transmission dishes that we use to link our remote sites back to our core network. All our sites then combined provide all Island coverage for our customers.
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, always keeping visual impact and amenity a priority.
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 Sures 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 Sures services.
For the avoidance of doubt: a mobile site, as referred to in this document, is a combination of equipment including cabinets, antennas, and structures, required to facilitate the operation of a mobile phone network.
The proposed development will consist of replacing the current 12-meter monopole with a 15-meter slimline lattice tower on the existing Sure mobile site located at Ballahick Farm, Ballasalla.
The proposed structure will be capable of supporting multiple panel antennas, providing 2G,
*MIMO, Multiple In Multiple Out, this is a protocol required for higher speeds and high capacity
The new proposed structure will also support smaller dishes known as microwave links used as transmission links for the site back to the Sure core network, the proposed design includes 1 microwave link, the size/location of the dish on the included drawings for this application are indicative until a final vendor decision has been made, final sizes will be confirmed with planning ahead of installation.
The current structure is incapable of supporting the next generation of mobile technologies, this is due to the current structure failing the windloading assesment that we have had carried out based on the new equipment specifications, as equipment is getting heavier in some cases and it is also moving to tower mounted kit, rather than being in radio cabinets at the base of the structure.
The proposed replacement structure will be built on the existing Sure mobile site, in the current position of the monopole. The mobile site is currently built on Ballahick Farm on 432769, the site is located along the farm track.
We believe that the visual impact of the proposed replacement structure will be minimal, due to the structure type, having opted for a slimline lattice as the replacement we believe that the structure will be less visually intrusive than the current structure due to the fact that it will no longer be a solid structure, but rather one that you can essentially look through, helping it blend in with the surroundings.
There is also the potential of painting the structure to fit the surroundings if deemed appropriate and the equipment on the tower to blend with the structure.
Examples below of slimline lattices that are currently deployed on a few Sure mobile sites around the Island.
There is a approximately 8 trees within 15-meters of the proposed development, they appear to be a mix of Mountain-Ash, Hawthorn and Willow as the tree canopy and root area does not go into the proposed site area, we do not see this development causing a negative impact to these trees.
The proposed equipment cabinet will be used to house mobile equipment that is required to support the radio equipment that is located on the structure with processing cards and site transmission equipment, there will also be power equipment within the cabinet, this will include battery back up in the event of power outages in the area to ensure the mobile coverage is maintained.
| Number of Cabs | 2 |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Height | 1800mm |
| Cabinet Width | 600mm |
| Cabinet Depth | 600mm |
| Cabinet Colour | Neutral (options to paint to fit surroundings if deemed appropriate) |
Along with the mobile equipment cabinet, there will also be a meter cabinet where the Manx Utilities mains incoming supply for the site will be located along with the electricity meter for the site power usage, there will also be a generator input for additional power back up for the site.
The following antennas have been selected for the new proposed structure, the visual impact of the antennas should be minimal, due to the structure type and the neutral colour of the panel antennas, the antennas can also be painted to suit the surroundings if required.
Antenna Type
2.0m Panel Antenna
Antenna Height
1998mm
Antenna Width
469mm
Antenna Depth
205mm
Antenna Frequency Ranges
690 – 960 MHz 1695 – 2690 Mhz
The current Sure mobile site at Ballahick Farm is limited on future network enhancements due to the current structure type as the current monopole has failed the windloading assessment based on the new equipment specifications, this means we would be unable to install the new kit at this site, the new proposed structure would be designed to have increased structural strength, enabling it to support next generation equipment along with future network enhancements.
The proposed structure would have a slight increase in the height, going from 12-meters up to 15-meters, this will be an advantage on the site as it will improve the coverage footprint in the surround areas due to the ability to mount the antennas higher, the proposed structure will also provide the required space needed to mount the RRHs (radios) adjacent to the antennas, something that we would struggle with on the current monopole.
These improvements directly support the Isle of Man Governments ‘Island Plan’ which has a vision of a digitally connected Island, that supports a tech enabled and future ready jurisdiction, surrounding areas will benefit from greater network capacity and service due to these improvements to the Sure mobile site.
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.”
Sure IOM Ltd believes the proposed installation complies with the Island’s policies and strategies above.
To summarise, we consider that this application will offer the best available solution to the enhancement of mobile service on the Sure network in the area.
The current mobile site is in the optimal position to provide coverage to Ballasalla, alternative sites would not provide sufficient benefit to justify its development.
Therefore, the design proposed represents both the optimum planning, environmental and technical solutions in this instance. As such, we believe the development as proposed is in accordance with planning guidance as defined above.
• Original planning for Sure mobile site at Ballahick o 06/02124/B - Installation of a 15m high monopole mast with associated equipment cabinets and compound area
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