Bucks Council refuses 'excessive' 3m BT street hub proposals for high street
A bid to replace an “outdated and worn-down” BT phone box on Chesham High Street with a new three-metre-high BT Street Hub has been refused by Buckinghamshire Council.
BT had applied for permission to install a Street Hub unit and two digital illuminated screens on the footpath outside 113 High Street in Chesham.
In planning documents, the company described the hubs as a “sleek, modern answer to the demands of a digitally connected, converged-media society.”
The unit would be monitored 24 hours a day, inspected weekly and cleaned at least every two weeks. It would also be fitted with a direct 999 emergency call button.
As part of the works, BT said the existing phone box would be removed and replaced with the new Street Hub, which it argued would help declutter the area and improve the appearance of the street scene.
Street Hubs are free-standing structures featuring a fully accessible tablet interface and digital HD display screens on two sides.
The hubs are free to use, with the scheme funded through advertising displayed on the screens. The displays automatically dim at night and change content at 10-second intervals.
As part of the proposal, BT said Buckinghamshire Council would receive 876 hours of free council advertising per year. The company added that the plans formed part of a wider rollout of the technology across Buckinghamshire.
In its supporting statement, BT said: “The appearance of the BT Street Hub unit has a vertical emphasis and by reason of its reduced footprint would give a slender more elegant form of development when compared to an existing payphone kiosk.
“The appearance of the structure is not considered to be harmful to the wider street scene, especially when taking into account the nature of the existing phone kiosks to be removed and the proximity of the new unit to these kiosks. We believe the appearance of the area and street scene will not be compromised by the proposed new BT Street Hub.”
However, Buckinghamshire Council did not agree, refusing permission for the change. In declining permission the authority said: “Due to its excessive size, height, siting, design and illumination, the proposed BT Hub would detract significantly from the character, appearance of the Chesham Conservation Area and the settings and significance of the adjacent Grade II listed buildings.
“The proposal would result in less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets for which there is no public benefit that would outweigh such harm.”
The council said the proposal was contrary to local planning policies and national heritage guidance.