Banbridge is ringing in the changes with a traditional BT payphone box in the town centre is to be scrapped and replaced with a new ‘digi’ street hub.
The facility will be located on a corner site at Bridge Street and is part of a plan to roll-out the latest technology across the UK.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has agreed to the installation.
The ‘free-standing’ unit will have two 75-inch LCD advertising display screens on either side of the new unit.
The application, lodged by Global UK, was accompanied by a supporting statement by Gravis Planning.
It explained: “The proposed street hub will provide ultrafast wi-fi, small cell technology, and rapid charge ports for use by the local community.
“The roll-out of proposed street hubs will improve the local street scene by removing legacy payphones that are usually redundant, outdated and underused, giving back valuable pavement space.”
And it adds: “The proposed development will significantly improve the public realm and appearance of the street. Moreover, the site relates to an existing landscaped pedestrian footpath and so comprises previously developed lands.
“The proposal will provide replacement infrastructure to facilitate the functionality and enhance retail offerings in Banbridge town centre and the primary retail core.
“The street hub would replace an existing BT payphone kiosk in the same location as the existing structure, and with a smaller footprint. The scale and size will be no greater than the existing kiosk and so will not detract from the existing character of the Banbridge area nor its key features.
“The proposed street hub will be sympathetically sited on a wide pedestrian verge, landscaped with street trees and other
street furniture.”
To ensure there will be no adverse impact on road safety, only static images will be displayed on the LCD ad screens, with “instantaneous transition between advertisements at an interval of no less than 10 seconds”.
There were no objections received within the statutory time frame.
Planners, in recommending approval, said in their report: “The proposal will not obstruct pedestrian movement or compromise visibility, and no public safety concerns have been raised.
“Levels of illumination are not considered excessive. Officers are of the view that, given the nature of the proposal, there will be
no unacceptable impacts on issues relating to traffic and parking.”
DfI had been consulted and had “no objection” and officers were of the opinion that there was “no conflict” between the new hub and policy requirements.
