Terms agreed with T-Mobile UK Ltd for use of Islington Police Station as a site for non emergency service aerials

Report: 13
Date: 23 October 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The MPA has previously approved the use in principle of the police estate for non-emergency service aerials.

Terms have been agreed with T-Mobile (UK) Ltd for the use of space at Islington police station to locate aerials and generate revenue for the MPA.

This report details the proposed terms and provides a generic risk analysis in relation to the local area. It makes recommendations on this proposal.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to approve the terms agreed, subject to contract, with T-Mobile (UK) Ltd for the siting of third generation (3G) mobile telecoms aerials and associated equipment at Islington police station.

B. Supporting information

1. Further to the Finance Committee’s approval of 16 January 2003 for the Director of Property Services to negotiate with interested parties for the use of the MPA estate for non emergency services aerials, terms have been agreed, subject to contract, with T-Mobile (UK) Ltd for the use of space at Islington police station.

2. T-Mobile (UK) Ltd wish to site third generation mobile phone aerials and equipment on the roof of Islington police station to provide coverage to the area, which they are legally obliged to do under the terms of their operating licences.

3. Islington police station is the Borough headquarters for Islington Borough Operational Command Unit (OCU) and has a substantial roof area suitable for the erection of aerials.

4. The agreed Heads of Terms and rent are set out in the Exempt Appendix . The terms have been drafted to ensure that the MPA’s interests are protected as far as possible. The generic issues relating to mobile phone mast sites were discussed in the report to Finance Committee on 10 July 2003 entitled “Terms agreed with Vodafone for use of Chiswick police station as a site for non emergency aerials”.

Protection of operational policing

5. Ongoing liaison is being undertaken with all relevant departments to ensure there are no problems resulting from this installation. This has included the Directorate of Information (DoI) in respect of communications systems and IT, Human Resources (HR) in respect of personnel and health and safety. The BOCU have been consulted regarding the proposed installation and have not raised objections. DoI and Property Services must approve all systems before installation can begin.

Health and safety

6. The MPA requires the Director of Property Services to put each case to the Finance Committee for approval with an appropriate risk analysis. The site is located in a high density mixed use urban area. To the east is the main retail and commercial district for the area, with a large supermarket and car park immediately to the east. In other directions there a mixture of commercial and residential land uses.

7. Appendix 1 is a map of the area, showing the building in relation to its surroundings. The blue stars show the approximate position of existing mobile telephone aerials. This information comes from a visual survey and the Radiocommunications Agency website. Schools are shown by the blue shaded boxes, with the health centre and hospital in the yellow shaded boxes. The information on the location of schools is provided by the Department of Education database.

8. Due to the area being urbanised and a major retail and commercial centre there are a large number of mobile phone aerials in the area to meet the high demand for phone services. The closest school to Islington police station is to the west and already has several antennae close to it, as shown.

9. Siting of aerials relative to schools and hospitals is dealt with under the planning system, which the operator, if approved to proceed with this site, will deal with under the Traffic Light model incorporated in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Code of Best Practice. The National Radiological Protection Board deals with health and safety issues. Recent DTI reports have shown that emission levels in schools and hospitals located close to masts are many times, and in some cases millions of times, below international guidelines.

10. The appropriate health and safety equipment will be installed on the roof to protect persons working on the roof, at T-Mobile (UK) Ltd’s expense.

Commercial issues

11. The terms agreed with T-Mobile (UK) Ltd are contained in the Exempt Appendix . The lease provides only for use of the site for 3G systems, and the rent agreed reflects the limited equipment rights granted. Should T-Mobile (UK) Ltd wish to put additional non-3G equipment on the site this would require additional negotiations and agreement.

Consultation

12. Direct consultation has been undertaken with the relevant operational departments, including Islington BOCU, and the MPA link member. Public Affairs have also been advised and are preparing a Media Statement. The staff unions, Police Federation, HR and MPS Health and Safety section have been consulted previously in respect of the wider policy on non emergency aerials.

13. Public consultations are undertaken by the T-Mobile (UK) Ltd under the Code of Best Practice that the operator is signed up to, and these form part of the planning processes for this installation.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. There are considered to be no equality and diversity implications arising from the issues in this report.

D. Financial implications

1. The Efficiency and Effectiveness target for 2003/04 of £500,000 per annum anticipates half this sum being generated by aerial sites. It was suggested in the Report to the Finance Committee of the 16 January 2003 that this be reduced to £100,000.

2. In order to meet either target the MPA needs to develop the aerial network on its estate, and this agreement forms part of this process.

Legal implications

Apart from the contract with T-Mobile UK there are not considered to be any other legal implications upon the MPA.

E. Background papers

• Finance Committee – 16 January 2003
• Finance Committee – 10 July 2003
• Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002
• Department of Trade & Industry Mobile Phone Base Station Audit – School Results 2002: DTI Press Release 18th February 2003 (P/2003/100)

F. Contact details

Report author: Alan Croney, Director of Property Services, MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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