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15-meter Tree Mast FOR Sure (IOM) Ltd AT Sure Site 49 Nobles Hospital Strang Isle of Man Planning Application Supporting Statement DATE: 19 April 2023 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 building a new Sure mobile site on the grounds at Nobles Hospital, this will be a redevelopment of an existing Sure mobile site that is currently located on the Vagabonds RUFC pitch.
The proposed structure will be capable of supporting multiple panel antennas, providing 2G,
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.
*MIMO, Multiple In Multiple Out, this is a protocol required for higher speeds and high capacity
The current structures at Vagabonds RUFC are incapable of supporting the newer equipment that is required to support the next generation of mobile technologies, this is due to several factors such as size/weight of new equipment, wind loading on the current structure and also available space on the structure – currently the site at Vagabonds consists of mobile panel antennas mounted on two of the rugby pitch floodlights, along with a microwave transmission dish mounted on a third floodlight tower, these structures are unable to take any additional load due to wind loading for each of the towers, we would like to increase this to potentially support additional mobile panels and also to allow us to mount RRHs on the structure to improve the mobile service in the area.
The proposed new structure will be built on the unused land that is located just off the footpath between Vagabonds carpark and the Nobles estate, this has been marked below (yellow), the existing Sure mobile site is also highlighted (red) for reference.
The proposed development is an upgrade/redevelopment of our existing site, as the existing structures can no longer support newer mobile equipment it will start to impact the network in the local area. The physical structure of the slimline lattices for the floodlights is not capable of supporting next generation antenna. The failure to develop this mast will severely impact the ability of Sure to support next generation technologies development in the area.
We would also like to improve the mobile coverage in the Hospital and also the Hospice, as we are the official mobile telecoms provider for the Isle of Man Government, by relocating the site to the proposed area, it would enable us to provide greater coverage to the Nobles estate as the proposed structure would be in better geographical position for coverage in the area, the proposed relocation would also benefit other Sure customers in the surrounding housing estates.
We believe that the visual impact of the proposed new structure will be minimal, we opted for a tree mast as this will allow us to improve the network in the area using a more versatile structure without a negative impact on the landscape, as it should blend into the current environment.
The new proposed structure will look like the above example. The new antennas and microwave dishes will be painted green to match the foliage to assist with minimising the visual impact.
Current structures with Sure panel antennas on two of the lattices and a microwave link on the central lattice, radio cabs are in a centralised location.
Proposed structure would be built on the unused land on the other side of the hedge adjacent to the pathway between Vagabonds car park and the Nobles estate
Tree line will help reduce the visual impact of the proposed new structure (tree mast)
View looking south-east from the main driveway on the Nobles estate, the tree line will help reduce the visual impact of the proposed structure behind.
| 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) |
| Number of Antennas | 3 |
|---|---|
| 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 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 Vagabonds RUFC is now limited due to wind loading limits for the structures, antenna sizes are changing, and some are getting wider and heavier, this will be an issue on the existing site at Vagabonds as we will be unable to install these antennas on the current structures as it will exceed the wind loading limits for the slimline lattices.
We would also be unable to mount the RRHs onto the current structure for similar reasons that they are simply too heavy to be mounted on the towers, this would then mean that we cannot mount the RRHs close to the antenna to maximise our MIMO potential from the radio kit, thus impacting the level of service we can provide from the site.
The proposed new tree mast will have significant advantages over the three current slimline lattices. The proposed tower will be slightly taller than the existing structures and the location of the proposed new site is a slightly higher elevation than the current site, therefore we will have an increased height advantage for the antennas. We will also have the option to increase the current site from a two-sector site to a three-sector mobile site, this will enable us to optimise network capacity to the Hospital, Hospice and also the local residents in the surrounding housing estates, ensuring maximum performance potential is being achieved from the mobile site.
Another advantage will be the structural strength of the new tower, it will be built to support next generation mobile equipment to improve the network capacity and capability in the area, it will also be a climbable structure, this is a major advantage as it allows easy access for Sure RAN Engineers to the equipment mounted on the structure in case of any maintenance or faults on site.
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, Braddan will benefit from greater network capacity and service due to these improvements to the Sure mobile site.
Coverage Maps
Health & Safety (ICNIRP)
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.
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 proposed new site will enable us to have a mobile site in a more optimal location to provide improved coverage on the Sure mobile network to the Hospital, Hospice and surrounding areas, compared to the current site at Vagabonds RUFC.
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.
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