Plans for one of two ‘street hubs’ in Aberystwyth which provide free wi-fi and phone calls and boost mobile signal has been refused by Ceredigion County Council planners with the other withdrawn by BT after objections from the town council.

As the Cambrian News reported last month, BT had applied to Ceredigion County Council to install two of its street hubs in Aberystwyth - on Great Darkgate Street outside the Savers store and on Park Avenue beside the Ystwyth Retail Park.

The two-sided digital screen hubs have free wi-fi, the ability to make phone calls and can be used for advertising and a community notice board.

BT said the hubs also boost 4G and 5G mobile signal.

A video camera is also included above each screen, which will also carry news, weather and travel updates.

BT said that the planned street hubs “forms part of a strategic plan for the removal of existing, outdated BT payphones and adapting to contemporary demands along with the introduction of new infrastructure... that improves public access to reliable connectivity and online services.”

Aberystwyth Town Council objected to both plans, and BT withdrew its plan for the Ystwyth Retail Park planned hub this week after Ceredigion County Council planning officers refues permission for the one on Great Darkgate Street.

Objecting for plans on Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth Town Council said it would be “out of character with the town centre” and said that “public Wi-Fi is already widely available in Aberystwyth, and therefore the advertised benefits of the installation are not considered necessary.”

Concerns were also raised regarding the commercial nature of the structure and the extent of advertising proposed.

The town council said that the installation “would introduce an excessive commercial presence within the high street” and “would contribute to additional pavement clutter on an already busy street, to the detriment of pedestrian movement and the overall streetscape.”

The Town Council also “felt the space would be better used for public seating rather than further street infrastructure.”

For the plans beside the Ystwyth Retail Park, the town council warned the “proposed installation could obstruct sightlines for pedestrians crossing the road, giving rise to potential safety issues.”

The council also said that while public Wi-Fi may “offer some benefit in this location” there would be “potential impacts on vehicle visibility within the car park, particularly in light of the possibility of future expansion of the site, which may further intensify traffic movements.”

Refusing the plans for the proposed hub on Great Darkgate Street, Ceredigion County Council planning officers said that “the proposed BT Street Hub, by reason of its modern design with illuminated advertising screens, scale, siting and visual prominence, will result in harm to both the character and appearance of Great Darkgate Street and the Aberystwyth Conservation area.”

“Furthermore, the additional pavement clutter could impede pedestrian flow and hinder accessibility on an already busy street,” planners said.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

The planned hub for on Park Avenue beside the Ystwyth Retail Park was subsequently withdrawn by BT.