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10
Jan 2023
Council refuses plans for 'intrusive' BT street hubs in Harrogate and Starbeck
Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to install six BT “street hubs” in Harrogate town centre and Starbeck.
The telecommunications company applied to the council to install the free-standing units on Cambridge Street outside the former Smiggle shop, on Oxford Street outside Marks and Spencer, and on High Street in Starbeck.
Further proposals for a hub outside the Cotswold Company on Station Parade and on Prospect Crescent in Harrogate were also rejected.
The hubs, which are being installed across the country, provide free phone calls and Wi-Fi, rapid charging points and touch screen tablets that can be used to access services.
How the BT street hub would look on Starbeck High Street.
However, the council has refused the planned units on the grounds that they were “intrusive and inappropriate”.
The authority added in its decision notice:
Read more:
- Police support Starbeck BT ‘street hub’ despite drugs concerns
- BT plans three advertising screens in central Harrogate
In documents submitted to the council, BT described the hubs as “reinventing phone boxes for the digital age”.
It also said the hubs were largely used to replace older infrastructure and would deliver a valuable service.
BT said:
The Stray Ferret has approached BT to ask whether it will still pursue the proposals, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
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