BT have been urged to clear 'eyesore' phone boxes from the streets of Edinburgh "as soon as possible" after councillors again rejected moves by the company to replace them with modern 'street hubs'.
The company has proposed replacing around 50 redundant phone boxes with 26 illuminated screens, which also provide free wi-fi, calls and USB charging amongst other features. The modern street hubs have already appeared in a number of UK cities including Glasgow.
Officials at Edinburgh City Council previously refused permission, arguing that the Hubs go against a raft of planning policies and would amount to "advertisement clutter" - but the telecoms giant has since appealed the rulings with the council and Scottish Government.
READ MORE: Edinburgh BT 'Street Hub' to replace vandalised Commonwealth Pool pay-phones
Six applications for the three-metre high units to be sited at Crichton St, Dalry Road, Morrison Link, Morrison Street, Nicholson Square Garden and outside Cameron Toll Shopping Centre were refused again after being reviewed by the planning appeals committee on Wednesday (September 28).
Councillors raised concerns about the amount of space they would take up on pavement and criticised BT for making the removal of eyesore payphones that are no longer used conditional of getting the go ahead for Street Hubs.
At the meeting planning officers confirmed the company does not need any planning permission to clear the city's streets of phone kiosks, many of which have been smashed, vandalised and not maintained.
Convener Euan Hyslop, SNP, accused BT of "attempting to leverage the will of residents that want to see this street clutter gone".
So far the green light has been given for just one Street Hub in Edinburgh, outside the Royal Commonwealth Pool on Dalkeith Road, following a move by members of the council's other planning appeals panel on March 14 to overturn officers' decision.
Furthermore, the Scottish Government's appeal department has since granted advertising consent - but not full planning permission - for proposed units by Nicolson Square Gardens and outside the Commie pool.
Speaking at the meeting this week, Conservative councillor Jo Mowat said she has concerns about all of the applications.
She said: "We have a presumption against free standing advertising structures and I know that the appellant has led the argument that this is more than just a free standing advertising structure.
"It's a very large structure that is blocking sightliness down the pavement as well. To all intents and purposes, it is a large advertising structure with some alternative uses tacked on to it."
Cllr Mowat said the units would block the pavement and obscure views looking down streets.
"What everyone wants is clear, easy accessible pavements to move freely along and by granting these we would lose that," she said.
She added BT has left "quite a bad taste" by linking the removal of phone boxes - which residents and councillors have long been calling for - with installation of advertising units.
Alan Beal, Lib Dems, pointed out the Hubs are bigger than phone boxes and would "add clutter to the street that wasn't there before."
He added: "I just can't see how we could accept this."
Cllr Hyslop said: "It's deeply disappointing that the applicant has decided to draw an arbitrary link between the removal of their unsightly phone boxes and the erection of these large illuminated advertising boards or 'hubs'.
"The decision to bind removal to these planning applications appears to be an attempt to leverage the will of residents, that want to see this street clutter gone, to try and influence the council planning department to rule against their own planning policies."
He called on BT to remove the 13 payphones "as soon as possible".
Chas Booth, Green Party, said: "In the context of a climate emergency we have to make it easier and more pleasant for everyone to walk or wheel more.
"The addition of these advertising hubs would have made that more difficult, not easier.
"BT tried to link these new adverts to the removal of some of their redundant phone boxes, but of course they don’t need permission to take these away. If BT were serious about reducing street clutter, they would be taking action now to demolish their outdated structures, and I urge them to do so without delay."
Labour councillor for Gorgie/Dalry Ross McKenzie, who has strongly opposed a Street Hub appearing in his ward on Dalry road, said following the decision: "BT had a right cheek trying to link the removal of the boxes to the street hub applications and I'm glad they haven't got away with it.
"They need to give up on this project now and focus on cleaning up the mess they have left all over the city. Public space is hard to come by in Dalry and we may have an opportunity coming up to improve the area around the Co-op. BT need to play their part - just remove the boxes, without strings attached."
A BT spokesperson said: “We are progressing plans with Edinburgh City Council to remove around 50 payphones across the city and replace them with around 26 new BT Street Hubs which will provide local people with free Wi-Fi, free calls, free mobile charging, allow environmental monitoring and provide free digital advertising space for the council and local businesses.
"We continue to discuss our plans with the council and we hope that Edinburgh will join other cities, such as Glasgow and Birmingham, where our new Street Hubs have been welcomed by local communities and small businesses.”
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