Methods and apparatus for controlling signaling processing resources that are shared among two or more cells at a base station, such that signaling processing resources are efficiently utilized and such that resources assigned for sending uplink grants and downlink assignments on a downlink control channel that is shared among the mobile terminals in each cell is also efficiently used. An example method is an iterative process whereby a manager controlling the assignments of resources on the downlink control channel among the mobile terminals on each cell is requested to provide resource to a restricted number of mobile terminals for a cell. This is repeated for each cell until a total processing capacity for the site is reached. The restriction in the number of mobile terminals included in each request relates to the total capacity for processing remaining on the site.