Terms agreed with T Mobile for use of Edmonton Police Station as a site for non emergency service aerials

Report: 15
Date: 20 November 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

1. The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) has previously approved the use in principle of the Police Estate for non-emergency service aerials.

2. Terms have been agreed with T Mobile for the use of space at Edmonton Police Station to locate aerials and generate revenue for the MPA.

3. 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

1. That Members approve the terms agreed, subject to contract, with T Mobile for the siting of mobile telecoms aerials and associated equipment at Edmonton Police Station.

B. Supporting information

1. Further to the MPA Finance Committee’s approval for the Director of Property Services (16 January 2003) 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 for the use of space at Edmonton Police Station.

2. T Mobile wish to site 3G equipment and aerials on the roof of Edmonton Police Station to provide coverage to the area, which they are legally obliged to do under the terms of their operating licences.

3. Edmonton Police Station is the headquarters of Enfield BOCU.

4. The agreed Heads of Terms and rent are set out in Exempt Appendix. These terms are very similar to those for the T Mobile site at Islington Police Station previously approved by the Finance Committee on 23 October 2003.

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, and the occupying OCU in respect of their use of the building. 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 police station is located in Edmonton Green, close to the railway station and a large shopping centre. The station fronts onto the A1010 Broadway, a retail and commercial thoroughfare and main road. The police station is one of only a few tall buildings in the locality.

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. The blue shaded boxes show schools, with the hospital in the yellow shaded box. The information on the location of schools is provided by the Department of Education database.

8. Surrounding the site is a mixture of commercial and predominantly low level residential uses. To the east are allotments and a cemetery. There are a number of schools in the area, but these are some distance from the police station, and those to the north-west have other antenna much closer.

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 mentioned above. The National Radiological Protection Board deals with health and safety issues.

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

Commercial issues

11. The terms agreed with T Mobile are contained in the Exempt Appendix. The rent reflects the status of the site as a 3G only location. The other terms are as agreed with T Mobile at Islington PS.

Consultation

12. Direct consultation has been undertaken with the relevant operational departments, the MPA Link Member and the staff unions and Police Federation. To date no response has been received from the unions or Police Federation. Public Affairs have also been advised and are preparing a Media Strategy.

13. Consultations in relation to the schools form part of the Code of Best Practice which the operator is signed up to. These form part of the planning processes for this installation. T Mobile undertakes all these consultations as the operator of the equipment.

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 £500k 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 £100k.

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.

E. Legal implications

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

F. Background papers

• Finance Committee – 16 January 2003
• Finance Committee – 10 July 2003
• Finance Committee – 23 October 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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