Plan to lease land for cell mast

The City has proposed to lease a portion of its own land off Victoria road in Camps Bay, near the NSRI building, to Vodacom for a cell mast.

This was discussed at the Sub-council 16 meeting on Tuesday August 14.

The council unanimously recommended that the lease of a portion of the be approved under several conditions.

Among the conditions was that the City approved a rental of more than R10 000 a month excluding VAT. The lease would be in place for 10 years, increasing by 8% annually.

The City recommended that the property be used for telecommunications infrastructure only.

This site was identified by Vodacom with a plan to improve network coverage and accommodate a large number of tourists in the area. The council said this was one of the ways to encourage the public to start using smart technology as a way of communication.

The council heard that the cell mast would blend in Camps Bay and it would have no visual impact.

The chairman of the Camps Bay and Clifton Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, Chris Willemse, said he didn’t believe that putting the cell mast there was the best decision.

Mr Williemse said they would need inspectors to make sure that the residents were safe.