BT 5G hub to replace city centre phone boxes

Plans have been approved to build the hub on Church Street

A pair of dilapidated phone boxes in Preston city centre are set to be replaced with a "digital hub" which provide free 5G access.

Telecoms company BT applied to install the hub - which will also provide free UK calls, a device charging point and an emergency services call button - on Church Street opposite the junction with Grimshaw Street.

Preston City Council approved the latest plan after last month refusing applications by the company to install the hubs in two other locations in Preston, saying they would add to "clutter" on the streets.

The hubs will be funded by advertising to be displayed on the hub's screens, which will also show public messages.

In a report justifying their decision to approve the hub, council planning officers said the phone boxes on Church Street were "in a state of disrepair".

They also said the phone boxes were "considered to detract from the character and appearance of the area", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The authority said the hub's display screens would not be permitted to show any moving, flashing or scrolling images, so as not to be a distraction to passing traffic.

The council is yet to decide on applications for two other BT hubs – one on Friargate South, near McDonald's, and at another site on New Hall Lane.