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AT
Part of field north of Ballakissack Farm Yard Ballakissack Farm School Lane Santon IM4 1EG
4th December, 2006
PREPARED BY:
CH2M HILL
CH2MHILL
CABLE & WIRELESS ISLE OF MAN REF: 81 Ballakissack Farm 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 the erection of a 12.85m monopole mast with up to 3 no. panel antenna and 3 no. 600mm diameter dishes placed upon it. There will also be 2 no. equipment cabinets, and 1 no. electricity meter cabinet located at ground level. The mast and equipment cabinets shall be enclosed by a 1.2m high timber post and rail stock proof fence. The mast, equipment cabinets, antennas, dishes, and fencing shall be painted in green colours suitable to the surrounding vegetation. The suggested shade is BS4800 12C39 but can be controlled by condition.
In essence, it will be similar in design to the existing Manx Telecom site located approximately 30m to the north west in the same field. The main difference will be that we intend to use cabinets in place of a large cabin for the equipment. For further details, please refer to the general arrangement plans that accompany this application.
The site is in the northern corner of a large livestock grazing field that makes up a much larger area of farmland. It stands approximately 500m from the nearest main highway (A5), and approximately 400m from the nearest residential properties.
Manx Telecom already has a site located within the same field as the proposed site, approximately 30m to the north west. It is intentional that this location has been selected, as the site is intended to form part of a chain of sites that will serve the main A5 and A25 roads, as well as the local communities and businesses along the same routes.
The proposed sites directly to the north east and south west of this location are also in direct colocation with Manx Telecom, thus the location of this site was a natural choice to again colocate with Manx Telecom.
Within this search area, there are no other dedicated telecom sites or suitable existing structures on which to mount the antennas, apart from the existing Manx Telecom site which is located within the same field approximately 30m away. However, this is a discrete single user monopole that has been thoughtfully designed to ensure it is as visually unobtrusive as possible, given the somewhat open location. We feel by redeveloping this structure into one that would be able to accommodate the equipment of both operators, it would remove most of the aforementioned benefits of the original site – and be significantly more visually intrusive.
As a result, we feel the most obvious choice of site location for a new mast would be in direct colocation with the existing Manx Telecom site. The site is approximately 500m away from the nearest main road and 400m from the nearest residential properties. The proposed site adjacent to the existing Manx Telecom site does not benefit from significant levels of natural screening. However, the proposed mast height is the same as that of the existing Manx Telecom mast, and will benefit from the same far-reaching backdrop. Neither mast would break the far-reaching sky-line from views from the passing A5 main road.
Therefore it is felt that by colocating with the existing Manx Telecom site, the best location has been identified.
We have met on several occasions with Ian Brooks to discuss various proposals, including this site. Mr Brooks has accepted the need for sites such as this and was supportive of choosing a location with least visual impact. He said that the merits of the scheme can be considered in more detail upon submission of the formal planning application and drawings.
At the request of the planning officer, we have included an additional elevation plan in order to demonstrate the appearance of the site from the south east as well as the south west.
The existing Manx Telecom site is approximately 30m away to the north west. The remainder of the wider area is farmland. We are not aware of any other planning history relevant to this application.
The site does not have a specific or restrictive designation under the 1982 Development Plan.
Cable and Wireless do not have any existing sites on the Isle of Man. In order to provide coverage and services to potential customers in the Santon area, a site is needed in this area. Where new sites are required, we are looking to colocate with existing Manx Telecom sites where the planning precedent has already been set.
If this location is not supported, there will still be a need for site in this area, and we feel the very best location has already been identified by way of this application. Without a site in this area, many residents, businesses, and tourists will not be able take advantage of having a choice of Mobile Operator the issuing of new licences was (in part) designed to accommodate.
The enclosed coverage plots demonstrate how this site will contribute to the Cable and Wireless network, and the extent of the coverage it is anticipated to provide. In addition to coverage, the site is also part of a network of sites that communicate by dish link. The links
must have direct line-of-site to one another to operate.
The proposed site will offer coverage to the settlements of Santon and westerly areas of Newtown. It will also cover large stretches of the A5 and A25 passing through the Santon area. In addition, parts of the A26 between St Marks and Braaid will also receive coverage.
The location of the site has been carefully considered, to ensure visual amenity in the area is as unaffected by the proposal as possible. The site chosen is, in our view, the best in the search area despite it's somewhat open location. All other sites were considered to be in much closer proximity to residential properties, or on even more exposed ground. The site does not benefit from extensive tall natural screening, but there is not an over-abundance of screening of this nature in the search area from which to chose from. To compensate, the site has been positioned close up against a mature hedgerow of between 2m and 3m in height. Therefore, the ground-based equipment should be well screened from general view.
As the mast, antennas, and dishes are to be painted in green shades, the site does blend into the far-reaching backdrop of fields and plantation. Most notable is the view from the passing A5 where the mast of the existing Manx Telecom site at no point breaks the sky line. As the proposed mast will be equal in height, it will also benefit from the same topographical feature.
The positioning of the site in this location is critical to ensure both continuous coverage to the main roads, residential areas, local businesses, and to maintain line-of-sight between it and the adjacent planned sites for the dish links. The strategic requirement of a site in this area from a coverage perspective is reinforced by the presence of the existing Manx Telecom site in the same field.
Where practicable, the design features of the Manx Telecom sites have been emulated to ensure the design and appearance of telecommunications sites in this location is consistent.
Planning Scheme Development Plan Provisional Order, 1982:
The proposed site does not have a specific or restrictive designation under the 1982 Development Plan, nor does it fall within an area of restricted building height due to Air Safety.
Draft Strategic Plan November 2004:
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 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.
The inspector’s comments were also viewed in relation to the draft plan.
Policies in EP1-3 set out protective policies for the countryside. Development which would have an adverse effect on the character and appearance of the landscape within the existing designated areas will not be permitted. In these areas the protection and conservation of the landscape will be the most important consideration. However development will be permitted where:
In all cases during the search and planning consultation we have endeavoured always to compromise our technical requirements with the need to reduce visual impact of the proposed development by best use of design and location.
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".
We consider in summary therefore;
a) There is a definite need for the site to provide important coverage to the Santon and Newtown areas, as well as local sections of the A5, A25, and A26.
b) The siting and appearance has been carefully considered to provide the least visual impact possible, in that the mast and equipment will be painted in green shades, and positioned against a mature hedgerow to screen the ground-based equipment from general view.
c) The visual amenity of the area shall be affected far less by a thoughtfully designed new site, rather than redeveloping the existing Manx Telecom site into one that can accommodate both Operators’ equipment, and would be significantly more visually-intrusive in appearance.
The design proposed represents both the optimum planning/environmental and technical solution in this instance. As such, we believe the development as proposed is in accordance with planning guidance as defined above.
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