Update on Phone Monopole

(01 Aug 2016)

Proposal from Shared Access to erect a 16 metre Mobile Data Monopole in Brookfield

1. Background

In 2001 we spent 18 months working with Eircell, now Vodafone, who looked for planning permission for a 12 metre “flagpole” mast in the same location as is currently proposed. It passed an EGM in 2002 but was turned down by the planners on “local amenity” grounds. Eircell did not appeal the decision. It was generally assumed at the time that they were going to apply for permission on Trinity Hall which never happened.

In 2009 Meteor approached us with a scaled down proposal to put antennae and mini dishes on the roof of the Clubhouse. This did not require planning permission as you can put any item up two 2 metres high on the roof. However, our solicitor had major problems with the Meteor contract, they would accept no alterations, and the scheme was dropped.

Shared Access entered the market some years ago and they did deals with the GAA, FAI, IRFU and Tennis Ireland to put monopoles on sports grounds in return for supplying floodlighting to the Clubs. This initially made no sense to Brookfield with our new floodlighting rig.

We were approached by Shared Access about this latest project in late October 2015. They were now willing to alter their approach to specifically fill in gaps in coverage. They had put a monopole into Templeogue to replace just one pole and were keen to do the same in BLTC.

2. Mobile Phone Masts

The Mobile phone companies initially saw having their own separate masts as a competitive advantage. Eircell had access to all the Eircom sites and O2 did a deal with the Gardai to use their stations. These and other sites gave them 95% coverage as required in their licences and additional repeaters were added to streetscapes to give additional capacity rather than coverage.

As the market matured the companies were faced with retaining an infrastructure to keep acquiring sites and maintaining them or to co-operate by using each other’s masts and outsourcing the maintenance. This is what happened and so companies like Shared Access entered the market.

However, the requirement for additional sites has continued to grow with the advent of mobile broadband and data transfer. This has driven the sports club campaign especially in built up areas.

While the planning environment has eased in recent years in relation to the provision of masts there has been a growing demand for acceptable looking masts, see Dublin Industrial Estate just last week. The monopole will include a shroud at the top that conceals the 3 x 2 metre-high antennae.

There are numerous “conservation” areas where the signal was just about good enough for a phone call but did not have the bandwidth for mobile broadband. Our area is such a place and it is further complicated by high houses which block line of sight. From our grounds they can get line of sight from 16 metres to Rathmines and to the ESB on Park Drive beside the Luas. They cannot however get south of Trinity Hall because of the trees. (The Meteor proposal had line of sight through chimney pots only to Rathmines.)

The redevelopment of Marianella on Orwell Road has removed the highest point in the area and was covered in mobile phone antennae. This has dramatically affected the reception in the area.

3. The Proposal

To erect a 16 metre high Hutchison Monopole on a 3 metre square x 1.1 metre deep recessed base together with one larger and one smaller communication cabinet to be on their own small base against the Palmerston Park wall. The monopole and all accessories will be painted Moss Green as per existing equipment. The monopole has a diameter of 0.32 metres at the base and until it reaches the shroud. The shroud is 2.4 metres high and has a diameter of 0.58 metres. (For comparison our lighting poles are 10 metres high and have a diameter of 0.25 metres at the base tapering to 0.1 metres at the top.)

The 3 antennae at the top of the pole can cover 120 degrees each giving a 360 degree capability. However as line of sight is limited to the south, the antennae will be focused to the north and north west primarily but also directly east and west.

The pole can only be used for one provider because of the shroud and this limits its usefulness to Vodafone customers only. The pole foundation will be recessed into the ground by at least 0.1 metre so that we can put grass back or pave. Our existing pole in the south east corner of Court 6 will be cut off at ground level, the void filled and the carpet rolled back into place.

Ongoing access to the pole and cabinets would be infrequently via the side gate during working hours except for an emergency. Maintenance of the pole would be performed via hoist from Palmerston Park. The intention having surveyed the site is to take power of up to 10kva from our main board, separately metered, and trenched across the grass.

The build period would be approximately 3 weeks. Week 1/2 to complete the foundations and trenches, Week 2/3 to cure the concrete and erect the pole and Week 3/4 to complete comms installation. Whole building site to be secured by Harris Fencing.

Planning Application for Mobile Phone Column

Senior and Pavilion Members will have received an email today informing you that the Trustees have consented to Shared Access Ltd. applying for Planning Permission for a 16 metre mobile communications column and associated communications cabinets (2) to replace the south east lighting column on Court 6 but just outside the court area.

The planning notice will be in a national newspaper on Monday 11 th July and notices will be erected on the Palmerston Wall on Wednesday 13 th July.

It must be emphasised that we have given consent to Shared Access to apply for planning permission only. While they have proposed terms and conditions and leases these have not been agreed and if they are agreed they would have to be approved by an EGM of Brookfield LTC called for that purpose.

The attached information sheets include a background to this and other proposals, the planning application as well as photomontages of how the column and communications cabinets will appear both in early spring and early summer.

While you cannot necessarily gauge the scale of the column, it is 6 metres higher than the lighting columns, it is 0.32 metres in diameter versus 0.25 metres at the base of the lighting columns which taper to 0.1 metres, and the “shroud” near the top is 0.58 metres in diameter.