Loading document...
September 2021 Prepared by: Ellis Brown, Architects 12 Strathallan Crescent, Queen’s Promenade, Douglas IM2 4NR
The site is the Manx Telecom communications facility known as Douglas North Data Centre, which is located to the north of Glencrutchery road, accessed from Greenfield road. The secure facility is enclosed with security fencing and controlled access.
The site is bounded to the south by the Borough of Douglas Crematorium and cemetery, to the west and North West by the Willaston estate and to the North / North East by the University college Mann – Vehicle technician training facility.
The existing facility houses the Data Centre that is a major worldwide communication hub servicing major island-based businesses and government departments. It is served by a series of cooling plant equipment located around the site. Some of these are remote from the building and some are attached to the building. (on the Southern elevation).
Existing cooling plant to the Southern elevation Boundary wall
Above are images of the existing equipment that is located to the Southern side of the building and is in the form of building mounted and stand-alone cooling plant.
The photos to follow show the existing equipment on the Northern side of the building, some located adjacent the building and some towards the NW site boundary.
Also located remotely is a smaller plant / equipment building which has an electricity substation included.
Substation Cooling equipment (in a compound)
Low level cooling equipment adjacent the building
As technology has progressed the facility has expanded internally in terms of the equipment that is operated and maintained there.
This internal expansion has been up to now managed by the existing current building services. However, the predicted expansion and load on the has led to the requirement for improvement of the service plant machinery, in particular the cooling equipment.
The proposal is to install additional equipment to provide additional capacity and resilience to the existing cooling system that are required to ensure the continued efficient operation of the facility.
The location of the equipment is important for the efficient operation of the internal elements of the equipment. After consideration, the location that will enable the equipment to operate most efficiently is on the upper level of the north west elevation. This location will be elevated and thus will require a suitable safe access and working platform for their maintenance. This access stair and platform are proposed to be galvanised metal structure attached to the existing building at the mid plinth level.
The location at the northern corner, is hidden from view from both the residential properties in Alfred Teare Grove (a cul-de-sac of bungalows in the Willaston estate) and the UCM vehicle technician training facility.
The boundary between the site and these locations include heavy vegetation and trees. This forms both a visual and audio barrier. The existing cooling plant located between the building and the boundary, has low noise levels. The boundary vegetation has grown since the installation of this cooling equipment.
The addition of further cooling plant units in the proposed location will not add to the noise levels, as they are further from the boundary, and screened by not only the boundary but the existing plant equipment area.
The UCM facility is for the training of vehicle technicians, and as such generates its own operational noise. The properties at the lower end of Alfred Teare Grove, are located over 45 metres away and as mentioned screened by vegetation at the site boundary.
The proposed plant is up to the minute modern equipment with operational noise levels below that of the units that are located between the building and the boundary fence.
It is for these reasons that the proposed additional units will not create or cause a noise issue.
Ellis Brown Documents Supporting Statement
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
