Wolverhampton railway station advertising board deemed ‘bulky’ and ‘danger to pedestrians’
A decision to block a digital advertising board and defibrillator from being installed outside Wolverhampton's railway station has been appealed.
The move to install the 86-inch ‘digital hub’ on a pavement outside Wolverhampton Station was rejected by the city council after it was deemed ‘bulky and obstructive’ and a ‘danger to pedestrians.’
Wolverhampton Council said the digital advertising board would be positioned in a “very prominent location … [that] would cause an obstruction and danger for pedestrians … particularly to those who are partially-sighted.”
The council added the ‘digital hub’ would “detract from the character and appearance of the gateway into and out of the railway station.”
The refurbished station opened in June 2021 – a year later than planned – as part of the £150m work to build a rail, tram and bus interchange in the city centre.
The council’s planners said in their decision: “The railway station and its frontage have recently undergone a multi-million-pound, major scheme of improvement works.
“This includes the provision of an attractive and welcoming plaza area, where there is significant pedestrian flows and interchange of movement between the metro stop, the mainline railway station, city centre and wider surroundings.
“The proposed multi-functional unit is bulky and large in scale.
“It would be arbitrarily positioned in a very prominent location, between the railway station buildings and the metro tram lines, forming unacceptable visual clutter, unacceptably detracting from the character and appearance of the gateway into and out of the railway station.
“The unit would also impede a key pedestrian walkway, causing an obstruction and danger for pedestrians, at this interchange point, particularly to those who are partially sighted.”
A statement included with the application by In Focus Networks and JCDecaux said: “The hub unit is designed to be a freely accessible service that includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, way-finding, device charging, emergency service call button, defibrillator and other functions combined into a single piece of furniture.
“The hub supports the aim of using smart technology to de-clutter our streets and reduce unnecessary furniture.
“As with any ‘free-to-use’ public service provision there is the potential for misuse and the company has attempted to ensure that through design and managed use that the hub unit assists in reducing crime, the fear of crime and the potential for anti-social behaviour.”
