Lamppost cable. What are they for?

[dishman]

I am just wondering what these are for.




They've cropped up in the area over the last year, some streets have more than one.

They seem to use standard lamppost poles but without the lantern on the top. Instead they have a very thin piece of something similar to fishing wire which spans the road and attaches to a corresponding pole on the other side. (The cable is there in the image, just so thin it's hard to see).

Oddly, I can't see that the wire goes anywhere, it just seems to tie off around flag pole eyes. Furthermore, with these being new to the street, there is no new trench that has been dug to route any needed cabling. They have just been installed, seemingly, without the need for any further infrastructure. Unless they have been place to directly intersect existing.

The street lighting has been installed for 10 years or more, so seems unconnected with that.

The only major infrastructure that has been installed recently is BT upgrades (to telegraph poles) and more recent Virgin media upgrades (to boxes).

So, my only rough guesses are:

1) Some kind of optical data cable
2) Some kind of earthing cable

I'm sure someone here will know what they are for.

I'm pretty sure they are not communal washing lines.

 

[Murdochcat]

Probably for a 3rd party supplying full fibre broadband

 

[jj4091]

A draw wire for when they fit the new heads?

 

[Koolpc]

A washing line for bats!

 

[mattylad]

Possibly BRSK, they are taking the country by storm, to be a FTTH provider.

 

[hllns]

Sounds like an Eruv to me (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eruv), there were a couple round my old way in Barnet, any Synagogues nearby?

 

[dishman]

Looking much closer I think I can exclude them being data lines.



The cable is just tied off, like a flag pole/

Sounds like an Eruv to me (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eruv), there were a couple round my old way in Barnet, any Synagogues nearby?

Interesting concept. I think I came across those when I first investigated, but discounted it as there are no Synagogues near and I can't imagine they would get randomly placed on streets for that purpose. It's not like it's an area with a large Jewish population (say something like Golders Green for example), which would make it more likely.

They are also certainly not anything to do with standard lampposts as the poles are just simple flag poles. No transformer gubbins in the base section at all.

I'm starting to think either requested street furniture for celebrations or fixtures for wildlife?

A washing line for bats!

Maybe a bat washing line is actually close to being correct.

 

[JohnW2]

If they are not related to the roads (i.e. real 'lampposts', currently without the lamps), I suspect that they may well have needed p[planning permission, so a look on your LA's website for planning applications might perhaps provide some information?

 

[JohnD]

Which town or borough are you in?

 

[dishman]

OK, mystery solved.

It is indeed an Eruv.

I found a comprehensive planning application which covered the whole suburb.

In total the there are about 60 roughly demarcating the boundary of the entire suburb, which is a pretty large area.

Fascinating.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Fascinating.

That's one opinion.

 

[ebee]

BRSK I had to look that up, Eventually Google found it.
Now to look up Eruv.

Right, seems to be religion raising its ugly head.

Two things I learned today.

Every day, in every way, I`m getting better and better - ooh thats a good saying

 

[Sureitsoff?]

So more unsightly street furniture that especially in this case doesn't have a real purpose. We're the residents of the streets asked about this?

 

[JohnW2]

So more unsightly street furniture that especially in this case doesn't have a real purpose. We're the residents of the streets asked about this?

I was wondering that. When one applies for planning permission to do work on a building, then the LA contacts the neighbours to ascertain whether they have any views (or objections). By analogy, one might expect that they would canvas the views of the entire local community in this case.

Most of us have absolutely no problem with people (at least, sane adults) choosing to follow whatever religion they wish (no matter how 'extreme'; that 'following' may be), provided only that it does not do harm to anyone (although I realise that a far bit of debate abour that is possible). However, this is one of the first instances I can recall of things being done to facilitate that 'religious following' (relating to a relatively small proportion of the population) which impact on an entire community. Discuss

 

[bernardgreen]

Do the poles affect the every day life of the population ? I doubt they do.

Does the Eruv affect the Jewish population. Yes it does, among many thing it allows Orthodox Jewish people who are confined to a wheel chair to attend their place of Worship on thier Sabath.

Hale eruv plans back on the table for 12-mile route

The plans for an eruv around Hale, Greater Manchester, were first put forward a decade ago.

www.bbc.co.uk