Words Erdington Local Editorial Team
Emergency services across Erdington and the surrounding areas could be left with “major gaps” in their mobile communications and radio coverage if plans for a new mast are not approved.
Airwave Solutions Ltd, which operates mobile communications networks for emergency services across the UK, currently has a mast on Edgemond Avenue, Pype Hayes.
However, following a Notice To Quit (NTQ) order the vital communications tower is being taken down by November 2024 to allow the landowner to proceed with plans for a residential development.
The potential loss of mobile and radio coverage for the emergency services on the front line has forced Airwave to submit an application to build a replacement mast at the Erdington Industrial Estate, Chester Road.
In supporting documents, the blue light services communications provider warns that not replacing the mast will put all emergency services at risk – with radio and mobile communication only possible from “a mixture” of sources “dependent upon precise location of officers, of vehicular sets and walkie talkies at street level.”
The organisation, who were bought out by Motorola in February 2016, further warn that without adequate communications infrastructure, radios used by the police, fire, and ambulance services would have “no penetration inside any buildings whatsoever.”
Airwave Solutions continued: “…officers in some areas would only have been able to communicate with each other when using car / fire engine / ambulance vehicle communication sets and no hand held calls will be able to made by officers who are either on the street or inside buildings, whilst in other areas some hand held walkie talkie units will be able to be used but only by officers on the street.”
They added: “The ramifications for public safety and national security if the site is not replaced will be extreme particularly at this precise moment in time of social unrest and rioting – potentially the police would have had no communications between officers and control rooms/commanders, leaving the residents of these areas and essential businesses in the districts unnecessarily more exposed to crime.
“Potentially the fire service would have been similarly exposed to no communications between fire fighters and unable to coordinate a response to any fire in this area; and this would have been no different for the ambulance service and would have been a severe risk to human life in and around the aforementioned town centre and surrounding districts.”
The planning application for the new blue light emergency services communication mast was submitted to Birmingham City Council in August and registered with the Planning Committee in the first week of September.
The application was made for a ‘replacement 24m high telecommunications mast with associated 3no. antennas, 2no. dishes, equipment cabinets and ancillary development works’, with any challenges or comments to be to the Planning Committee made by 3 October.
However, similar applications across the country have been held up by concerns from local residents, businesses, which lead to planning committee refusals or the application being eventually denied by the Planning Inspectorate.
Local elected officials listed as ‘consultees’ on the application are Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton (Labour), Cllr Basharat Mahmood (Pype Hayes Ward, Labour), and Birmingham Conservatives Leader Cllr Robert Alden (Erdington Ward, Conservatives).
