by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Two BT street hubs planned for Weymouth town centre could see different planning outcomes in the coming days.
The large screen ‘hubs’ which feature 5G coverage and limited free internet connection and phone calls – with advertising to help pay for the service, are proposed for the Esplanade and St Mary Street.
Dorset Council planning officers are recommending refusal for the seafront hub, opposite 66-67 The Esplanade, arguing it would look out of place – recommending the hub for St Mary Street, near the Black Dog pub, be allowed to go ahead.
A report to the April 2 planning committee tells councillors that the Esplanade hub: “Would be a harmful addition to the historically sensitive and significant Esplanade promenade within the Weymouth Town Centre Conservation Area, given its siting, scale, design, appearance and colour with inbuilt LED screens being visually intrusive, adding to the proliferation of street furniture and being read alongside existing LED advertising screens which have been installed along the Esplanade.
Whilst it is noted that there would be public benefits from the proposed hub, namely increased coverage of 5G and the provision of Wi-Fi, this is not considered to outweigh the less than substantial harm to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area which the hub would cause.”
The report tells councillors that the proposed site is close to a number of listed buildings, or structures, including Johnstone Row (Grade II), Statue House (Grade II*) and King’s Statue (Grade I).
Dorset Police, while not objecting to the planning proposal, have raised concerns.
They say that where free Wi-Fi is available, it can attract groups of people who then act anti-socially. The force architectural liason officer says colleagues in other areas have said that there have been incidents of misuse of the 999-call button, mainly in city centre or high traffic locations in the night-time economy.
A report from the police to the council adds: “The ability to make free calls could allow abuse of that service, including the hubs being used to facilitate the distribution of drugs or nuisance calls, particularly for domestic abuse/stalking victims.”
In the case of the St Mary Street hub, councillors will be told that while there would be ‘harm’ to the setting of the conservation area this “would be less than substantial, and would be outweighed by public benefit’s a recommendation to approve the St Mary Street hub council conservation officers say they cannot support the decision, telling the committee: “The proposed replacement (of an existing phone box) due to the height, mass, colour, animation and illumination is not supported. The proposal would be overbearing and imposing within the street scene. The proposal would be considered an unsympathetic addition causing detrimental harm to the setting of the neighbouring Grade II Listed building and the Conservation Area.”
The pictures are photomontages of both proposed street hubs.
