Castlepoint Shopping Park

Data Radios supplied by STS Communications Limited are playing a key role in the smooth day-to-day management of the South Coasts newest shopping park.

The Castlepoint Shopping Park is a joint venture between Standard Life Investments, Castlemore Securities and Threadneedle Property Investments Ltd (acting on behalf of Eagle Star Life Assurance Company Ltd.). The Centre cost in excess of £70 million to construct, the project is valued at over £270 million and is one of the largest retail parks in the country. With many large retailers on the site it is set to become one of the premier shopping destinations on the South Coast.

In order to ensure the smooth opening and running of the centre, Castlepoint approached STS Communications Ltd to provide them with a customised radio solution.

“The nature of the Castlepoint complex and sheer number of visitors expected meant that a unique solution was required to meet the exact needs of the centre management “, says Roy Smith of STS Communications, “We were fortunate to have a close working relationship with the management team and were able to work with them whilst designing the system.”

“The Castlepoint Board had an important requirement to offer an engineered solution to general site communications, to ensure both a safe environment and to promote a good working partnership between the centre management and the tenants.” Says Robert Hall, Commercial Director at Castlepoint, “We approached a number of companies and considered a broad range of technologies including DECT, a basic radio system, PC-Based Intranet and internal phone system. The proposals put forward by STS were both cost effective and operationally efficient.”

Roy Smith of STS added “The key problem we had to overcome at Castlepoint was to provide an integrated communications tool in each of the shops that would enable instant voice communications with the Centre control room in an emergency, but control channel usage at all other times and provide two-way data messaging.”

The radio chosen for the shop units was the Kenwood TK880 mobile, housed in a custom built box with external data display head, microphone and panic button.

“The Kenwood radio was chosen because it offered us the ability to send full text messages to the radio units using the Kenwood Digital Messaging System which utilises an in-built modem. We then had to custom build the housing for the units and source a data head which would provide full functionality and interface with the radio. What you actually have is a mobile radio with the ability to send and receive data messages, activate panic alarms in the control room and talk directly with the control room staff.”

Mike Browne, Managing Director of STS also commented “The key component which was essential in combining these features was our bespoke software package which has been designed to work in conjunction with modern two-way radios using FFSK. This goes to prove once again that traditional PMR continues to provide a cost-effective solution to unique user requirements. As manufacturers continue to improve their products we are able to compete head on with other emerging technologies, knowing that PMR is a tried and tested standard.”

As well as providing mobile radios installed permanently in each of the shops, STS also provided the security, management and technical staff with handportable radios. The radio of choice was the Kenwood TK3140. “These radios are both durable and lightweight and so have proved popular with staff at Castlepoint, they also talk to our software package and so the control room can now send real text messages to the radios individually, or as groups.

Another key feature, which was essential to ensure staff safety, was the addition of a panic button facility. If a member of staff hits the orange button either on their radio or on the speaker microphone, it immediately activates audible and visual alerts in the control room – these display the radio ID, user name and callsign. Security staff can now be confident that help really is only a buttons push away.

Another key feature was the ability for mobile security staff to update the control room without the need for voice communications – by sending a data message from the radio staff can silently update the control room of their location and status. This has proved a useful feature when passing sensitive information to individual radio users,” comments Roy Smith of STS.

The radios have and continue to be a key part in the effective management of the centre and PMR has, once again, proved itself to be perfect for the job.

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