Aberystwyth Town Council has objected to plans by BT for two ‘street hubs’ which provide free wi-fi and phone calls.

As the Cambrian News reported last month, BT have 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 will 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.

Aberystwyth Town Council has objected to both plans.

For the street hub on Great Darkgate Street, the 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.”

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.”

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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.”