Plans to upgrade Blackpool phone boxes to digital hubs thrown out - because most people have a mobile

Plans to replace traditional phone boxes in Blackpool with high-tech communication hubs have largely been thrown out by council planners - because most residents have their own mobile phones.
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BT had applied to the council seeking permission to install 15 hubs around the resort offering free internet access and free phone calls.

The service would be paid for by advertising, with digital advertising screens also proposed at each hub.

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Free calls and internet on the street corner if new hubs replace Blackpool phone...
One of the proposed BT hubsOne of the proposed BT hubs
One of the proposed BT hubs
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But town hall planners have given the go ahead to just four of the sites, which they say would be of most use to visitors.

They say with figures showing 95 per cent of people now use a mobile phone, "it is reasonable to assume that most Blackpool residents would have limited need to use street hubs on a day-to-day basis."

However they are likely to be used by visitors "who are unfamiliar with the area, and who could reasonably be expected to be seeking access to information and charging provision away from home."

A council report, setting out the reason for the decision, says the proposed hubs are clustered around the town centre and Promenade which would "appear to be excessive and unnecessary given the extent to which they are likely to be needed and their anticipated visual impact."

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The council has agreed to approve hubs in four locations considered most likely to be frequented by visitors including outside Marks and Spencer's on Church Street, in Bank Hey Street, near Blackpool North Station and heading south on the Promenade towards the centre of the town.

The decision notice adds: "These areas are most highly trafficked by visitors and, in these locations, the hubs would have the most functional value and therefore deliver greatest public benefit sufficient to outweigh the visual impact."

As well as being used for advertising, BT said the screens could be used to deliver public messages, and information such as maps and directions.

A report accompanying the applications said the move will enhance the public realm by replacing phone boxes with units of "a sleek, modern and innovative design."

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It added: "The Street Hub has added benefits of free Wi-Fi connectivity and other valuable services to tourists and recreational users, thereby encouraging greater use of the city’s streetscapes as part of the wider digital connectivity expected in modern cities.”

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