Life-saving defibrillators plan thrown out by Blackpool Council because streets 'already cluttered'
The defibrillators would have been fitted to internet hubs offering free calls to landlines, free Wi-Fi, and interactive maps, reports Shelagh Parkinson
A bid to install life-saving defibrillators in Blackpool’s shopping area has been thrown out by town hall planners who said streets were already cluttered enough.
In making the decision, the council said there were already a number of defibrillators available for use in the town centre. The defibrillators would have been fitted to internet hubs offering free calls to landlines, free Wi-Fi, and interactive maps.
A planning application submitted by JCDecaux on behalf of In Focus Networks Ltd, said the proposed hubs “would not appear out of place but would complement the public realm and enhance the experience of people visiting Blackpool.”
It was also proposed to include advertising screens on the units earmarked for two sites on Bank Hey Street, and in Abingdon Street, Church Street and Adelaide Street West.
But a council report setting out the decision said the hubs “would be a new piece of street furniture in a street which is already cluttered with street furniture and advertisement totems”.
The proposed advertising screens were branded as “highly visible, dominant and incongruous addition in this setting” and would “fail to preserve the character and appearance of the Town Centre Conservation Area”.
There are already eight defibrillators in the town centre close to the locations for the five proposed new hubs. It was also claimed these type of hubs can attract anti-social behaviour, while often the screens meant to provide location data are not working.
While admitting the hubs may be useful to some visitors to Blackpool, planners added: “Given the high percentage of the UK population in possession of a mobile capable of performing the functions of a street hub, and with the borough wide increase in up-to-date high-speed telecommunications infrastructure, it is reasonable to assume that most Blackpool residents would have limited need to use street hubs on a day-to-day basis.”
The council has previously resisted the spread of communication hubs on the town’s streets and in 2022 approved only four of 15 hubs offering free calls and internet access following an application by BT.
BT subsequently received planning permission for a handful of further hubs following an appeal although some of the units were still refused.