Terms agreed with Orange for use of Croydon Police Station as a site for non-emergency service aerials

Report: 10
Date: 21 October 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) has previously approved the use in principle of the Police Estate for non-emergency service aerials. Terms have been agreed with Orange for the use of space at Croydon 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

That the MPA approves the terms agreed, subject to contract, with Orange for the siting of mobile telecoms aerials and associated equipment at Croydon police station.

B. Supporting information

1. Further to the Finance Committee’s approval (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 Orange for the use of space at Croydon police station.

2. Orange wish to site 2G and 3G equipment and aerials on the roof of Croydon police station to provide coverage to the area, which they are legally obliged to do under the terms of their operating licences.

3. Croydon police station is the headquarters of Croydon Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU).

4. The agreed Heads of Terms and rent are set out in exempt Appendix 1. These terms are very similar to those for the other Orange sites at Chiswick police station and 3-5 Nightingale Lane, previously approved by the MPA.

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 Information Technology (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 on the southern edge of Croydon Town Centre, which comprises a large commercial and shopping centre. The station fronts onto the A212 Park Lane main road. The police station is one of a number of tall office buildings in the locality. The commercial area is generally located to the north and west of the station, with predominately residential to the south.

7. Appendix 2 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 OFCOM website. Schools are shown by the blue shaded boxes. The information on the location of schools is provided by the Department of Education database, Edubase.

8. Surrounding the site is a mixture of commercial (high rise offices plus retail) to the north and west, and low level residential use to the south and east. There a number of schools and colleges in the area, but these are some distance from the police station, and all have other antenna closer to them than the proposed police station site.

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 Orange’s expense.

Commercial issues

11. The terms agreed with Orange are contained in exempt Appendix 1. The other terms are as agreed with Orange at Chiswick police station and premises at Nightingale Lane.

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 (the “Ten Commitments”) that the operator is signed up to. These form part of the planning processes for this installation. Orange undertakes all these consultations as the operator of the equipment.

C. Race and equality impact

1. In considering the MPA's duty to promote good race relations under the relevant acts it is considered that as the future use will be determined by the proper due process of the Local Planning Authority (who are under the same obligations as the MPA) there is nothing specific or additional that needs to be done to discharge the duty on the MPA. The proposed licensee is a respected multi national company and their commitments are openly published. There is no evidence to suggest that the proposal impacts disproportionately on any particular group based on race/ethnicity.

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.

E. Legal implications

Apart from the contract with Orange PCS Ltd, 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
• 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 18 February 2003 (P/2003/100)

G. Contact details

Report author: Alan Croney, Director of Property Services

For information contact:

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

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