Vodafone site notices vanish

VODAFONE Ireland are seeking retention permission for their infrastructure at Ballyblood, Tulla, but the site notices keep getting taken on them.

A letter accompanying their planning application stated, “Following recent repeated removal of site notices in regards to the attached retention application, we have been in contact with the planning department and enclose the following information.

1 We enclose copies of the site notice as erected on 23/07/2014.

2 Letter signed by the local Garda office acknowledging site notices erected etc. The Garda advised if we had similar problems again to contact them, and also noted we did not require an incident number.

“Having spoken to the planning dept, we would appreciate receiving some contact/notice, in order to replace any missing notices. As discussed we will maintain a watch on the site notices, however given the problems we have experienced to date, we would appreciate the assistance of the Council, should the notices be missing upon inspection.

“Any notices missing upon inspection by the Council can be replaced as soon as possible, and therefore we would appreciate receiving contact from the Council, in order to avoid the cycle of having the application returned invalid.”

A letter accompanying the application says that the development is quite significant for Vodafone’s services. “This base station has been in-situ for over a decade and is now an established part of the landscape. The site is ideally located to provide high quality coverage to the village of Tulla and surrounding townlands of Ballyblood, Cutteen Beg, Lissofin, Carrowroe, Rannagh, among others. It also provides a strategic location as a link from a number of neighbouring base station sites to the main Network switch site, and provides coverage on sections of the Regional Road Network including the R352 and R462 and also the local Road Network.”

The letter also states that “This existing site provides high quality coverage to the immediate area and also acts as a link to other sites in Vodafone’s transmission network. Services like Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and third Generation 3G or Universal Mobile Telephone Service (UMTS) dramatically increase the volume of call traffic. The high data transmission rates on third generation technologies depends is only achieved where there is nearby base station, as there is a direct relationship between distance from a base station and the date speeds obtained.

“This site is vital to Vodafone’s mobile network in the area, providing voice and data services to Tulla including surrounding roads. The area has residential housing. This site has 2G technology providing indoor, in-car and outdoor voice and data services.”

It also claims that the site is very suitable for the facility for co-location. “Vodafone have always promoted co-location and this site continues to accommodate two additional operators and Vodafone. The retention of this existing tower and its availability for co-location will mean additional sites may not be required in the immediate area. The retention of this established site allows Vodafone to continue to provide the required voice and data services in the area and in-filling a coverage blackspot.

“The existing structure is, as evidenced above, ideal for providing co-location and continues to be available for other operators. The compound itself is screened by the dark green palisade fence and the existing boundary ditches and trees.”