By Francois Vincent and Local Democracy Reporter,Francois Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter
Copyright northernirelandworld
The planning application was lodged by WHP Telecoms Ltd, Carryduff Business Park, on behalf of Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd, a joint venture company owned by Vodafone Limited and VMO2 (commonly known as O2), and based at Arlington Business Park, Berkshire. The applicant explained in supporting documentation there has been a significant shift in data usage from city-centre locations to residential/rural areas and suburbs, to meet work-from-home demand. The existing equipment cabinet will be removed, to be replaced by three cabinets, six antennas, and a concrete base to serve the development. The location for the replacement antenna is rural in character, as ABC planning officers explained in their report. They stated: “The application site is located within a field. The telecommunications tower occupies approximately the most elevated position within the field. The proposed telecommunications mast is 4.85 metres higher than the existing telecommunications mast. “With regards to siting, the proposed tower is located within the existing fenced-off area of the existing tower; and with regards to design, the proposed tower possesses a lattice framework. Existing Tower “Given the established presence of the existing tower, and that the proposed tower is located within the same fenced area as the existing tower, officers are of the opinion that the subject proposal would not result in unacceptable damage to visual amenity, or harm to environmentally sensitive features or locations.” In supporting documentation, the applicant insisted the new facility was needed to meet current requirements: “It is paramount that digital connectivity is supported and maintained throughout the country. “In particular, the current massive shift in user demand from city centres and places of work to residential areas and suburbs, requires an improvement in coverage and capacity throughout the whole network. “The current proposal therefore provides the necessary equipment upgrades and additional capacity to the existing network, whilst providing new 5G coverage to this area of Portadown. “In order to provide high-quality coverage to the local area for VMO2 [commonly known as O2), the upgrading of this established base station is considered the best environmental and town planning solution [as] the equipment on the site is outdated. “The proposed structure, although taller and wider than the existing installation and the surrounding elements, would only be seen from relatively close proximity along Marlacoo Road. “Given the existing installation and rural setting, it is considered that the additional height would not be readily appreciated, and would not appear dominant in the context of the existing landscape. Get the Northern Ireland World newsletter – sign up now “Cornerstone is a joint venture company owned by Vodafone Limited and VMO2, commonly known as O2, who manage a single grid network across the UK for these companies. “This agreement allows both organisations to pool their basic network infrastructure, while running two independent, nationwide networks. “It maximises opportunities to consolidate the number of base stations and, where possible, can significantly reduce the environmental impact of network development. “The ability to work from home is now a key part of our modern working lifestyle. In order to ensure that working from home is a viable option, existing operator networks must be strengthened to ensure they can cope with demand. “This is certainly applicable in this instance, with the proposed installation providing necessary upgraded capacity and network coverage, to the most modern available (5G).” François Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter
