Mast map produced to respond to Sibly local queries
Release Date 03 March 2011
The University of Reading has produced a map of the potential telecommunications locations, considered as part of its planning application for the redevelopment of the Sibly Hall site, to respond to queries from local residents.
Part of the plan for the site involves the demolition of Sibly tower, a 10-storey hall of residence, which also hosts important telecoms and emergency services communication equipment. Without a replacement site for the equipment, local residents and the emergency services would lose their mobile signals in the area.
The University undertook a full survey of potential sites in the area and concluded that on a range of grounds including topography, coverage and range of signal, the best location for a replacement mast would be a glade within the woodland on the Sibly site itself. Although this information was submitted as part the planning application, the University has had correspondence from a number of local residents questioning why the mast could not be located elsewhere. Therefore, to help clarify the position, a map showing those potential sites has now been produced and posted on the University website.
One frequent query has been why the University could not consider locating the mast on its Whiteknights campus. In fact, all of the mobile operators represented on the Sibly tower are already on the Whiteknights Campus and the signal is beamed from Whiteknights to Sibly and from there to Bracknell to ensure coverage. Whiteknights on its own would not provide coverage for the Sibly area.
The University has also considered the alternative to just the one mast at Sibly. However, this would entail the development of multiple street work installations in and around the surrounding area, with a potential for up to 8-10 sites being required to match the coverage of the one mast.
If Airwave, who operate the emergency services communications, don't have an installation local to Sibly, they will need to replicate their coverage which covers quite a large suburban area due to the height of the antennas. They have a minimum quality of service that they must legally supply set by the Government so emergency services can communicate between one another at any time. They are the most important of the operators that need to be at 30m, hence this height was chosen as it provides them and the other operators with clear line of site above the surrounding tree canopy.
The map and accompanying location information can be accessed on the University's website at www.reading.ac.uk/local.
ENDS
Further information from Alex Brannen on 0118 378 8005