Four Pulse Communication Hubs For Brighton Streets Refused On Appeal

Wednesday, 5 March 2025 13:44

By Sarah Booker-Lewis

A company’s bid to install smart hubs on two Brighton streets has failed on appeal.

Urban Innovation Company (UIC) applied to put its “Pulse Smart Hubs” in West Street and Jubilee Street but Brighton and Hove City Council turned down the plans.

Now the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed its appeal.

The planning application said that the hubs were “free-standing structures” with an interactive tablet and large digital display screens on each side.

The touch-screens provide access to a built-in defibrillator, an emergency safety button, 999 button, nasal naloxone opioid emergency treatment, free wifi and phone calls, wireless mobile phone charging and information.

Both sites were subject to two applications, one for the hub and the other for advertising.

Planning inspector Megan Thomas said the West Street site would impact on the Old Town Conservation Area (CA).

In her report she said:

“In the local area around the appeal site, the CA derives significance from its visual connection to the sea and in particular looking south there are long views downhill to the sea and to a number of attractive buildings which, if not within the CA are within its setting.

“It is these important heritage-related views that would be harmed by the introduction of the monolithic hub with its digital displays, taken together with (in some views) the existing communications hub outside 59 West Street.

“In a similar vein, the appeal proposal would be directly opposite the grade II* listed church.

“Its grand large stained glass window and entrance portico front the footway and the proposed hub would damage and interrupt an appreciation and experience of its setting.”

For the Jubilee Street site the North Laine Conservation Area was less of an issue as the site is surrounded by modern buildings.

However, Ms Thomas said the area is “visually cluttered”.

She said:

“The smart hub would be sited prominently towards the outer edge of the footway.

“It would be a sizeable structure especially due to its height at about 2.54m, and an eye-catching one owing to its large digital advertisement screens.

“It would add visual clutter to the area which cumulatively would be detrimental to visual amenity, and it would encroach and partially block attractive views north up to North Road and south to New Road.

“These views are already mainly funnelled owing to the narrow road and three to four storey buildings lining the majority of the road but the siting of the smart hub with its advertisements would worsen visual amenity considerably.”

The inspector was concerned about the hub’s impact on the large number of pedestrians in the area as it would create an “unnecessary and harmful obstruction”.