BT hub plans rejected over 'street clutter' fears

The council says the proposed units would have impacted the street's character

Plans by telecoms giant BT to install three-metre-tall units to provide access to 5G have been rejected by a council over concerns they would add to the "clutter" on streets.

The two street hubs, which would have also had USB charging points and screens showing adverts and public information messages, were planned for Friargate North and New Hall Lane in Preston.

But the plans were rejected by Preston City Council, which said the hubs would be at odds with recent works done on the route, which is mostly pedestrianised.

A spokesman said the hubs would have affected the character of the street by "increasing street clutter" and reducing the width of the footpath.

The unit on Friargate North would have replaced the existing phone box on the street, and would have also had an emergency services contact button, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The telecommunications company, in its applications for the units, said the hubs, of which there are almost 1,000 nationwide, were "an opportunity to help future-proof the high street, making [it] smarter, safer and more sustainable".

They would have been funded by adverts displayed on the screens, BT said.

The authority has yet to reach a decision about three other proposed locations across the city for units to be installed on Friargate South, elsewhere on New Hall Lane and on Church Street.