Agenda item

Installation of 1no. BT Street Hub and removal of associated BT payphone.

Applications P/FUL/2025/06651 and P/ADV/2025/06384 were presented in a single presentation due to relating to the same site.

The Planning Officer presented the application for the removal of an existing phone box and the installation of a BT Street Hub in the same location. The site was shown on a map and within an aerial photograph, identifying its position along the Esplanade. Photographs were displayed to provide context, including views of the site from various points.

Members were advised that the site lay on Dorset Council owned land, within the Weymouth Town Centre Conservation Area and in close proximity to the King George III statue and several Grade II listed buildings. The proposed development involved replacing the existing phone box with a BT Street Hub incorporating an LED advertising panel and providing public Wi‑Fi and enhanced 5G connectivity. Elevations of the existing phone box and the proposed street hub were shown, illustrating that the new structure would be taller than the existing unit, along with a visualisation of how it would appear in the street scene.

It was explained that the proposal was acceptable in principle and supported by policies in the Local Plan. The public benefits were identified as the provision of Wi‑Fi and improved 5G coverage to support both personal and business use. Residential amenity was not considered to be adversely affected. Highway impacts were judged acceptable, with no objections from the Highways Authority, subject to conditions to ensure the LED display was not distracting to road users. Crime and policing matters were also considered acceptable, provided an Anti‑Social Behaviour Management Plan was secured by condition and it was noted that other LED panels were already present along the Esplanade without recorded issues of anti‑social behaviour.

The main considerations were visual amenity and heritage impact. The key qualities of the Esplanade were described as its long‑range views, blue railings and sense of openness and expansiveness, which had already been gradually eroded by the introduction of additional street furniture. A photograph was shown to illustrate this. It was concluded that the additional street hub would further detract from these qualities and would be harmful to the setting and character of the Conservation Area. Members were shown a map demonstrating the number of existing LED advertising panels along the Esplanade, and it was considered that the proposal would contribute to their further proliferation.

The Planning Officer considered that the proposal would result in less than substantial harm to the Conservation Area under the National Planning Policy Framework, but that this harm would sit toward the higher end of that scale given the historic and architectural significance of the Esplanade. It had also not been demonstrated that the identified public benefits could not be delivered through alternative means or locations.

In concluding, the Planning Officer explained that a fine planning balance had been undertaken between the public benefits and the identified heritage harm. Given the degree of harm, it was not considered that the public benefits outweighed the negative impacts on the Conservation Area.

The following responses to members questions were provided by officers:

·       The Street Hub unit would be limited to non-animated, static advertisements only and the Highways Authority had requested that a condition be included to prevent video or animated advertising being used.

·       It was considered that policy W13 in the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan sought to protect long ranging views of the Esplanade and that whilst the proposal would introduce new elements to the Esplanade, they would not be significant in scale and size to be detrimental to those long range, wide views.

·       In addition to the physical presence of the Street Hub, the addition of LED advertising panels would also contribute to the visual clutter along the Esplanade.

·       The other LED panels in the area were of a similar size.

Having had the opportunity to debate the merits of the application several members expressed that although they recognised the benefits of the application, it did not outweigh the harm caused to the setting of the Conservation Area.

It was proposed by Cllr Northam and seconded by Cllr Wheller, that the application be refused.

Decision: That the application be refused for the reasons set out in the appendix to these minutes.