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Ilkley Town Council strongly opposes proposed BT street hub

Thursday, 13 November 2025 09:00

BT have submitted plans to remove the phone box and replace with a BT street hub advertising sign

Ilkley Town Council’s Planning Committee has agreed to recommend that Bradford Council rejects a proposal by BT to place an illuminated advertising ‘street hub’ on The Grove, replacing the existing public telephone box.

BT currently have over 950 street hubs across the UK, along with advertising screens both sides, the hubs offer Wi-Fi and free phone calls. Hubs are cleaned at least every two weeks and will promote community events and activities.

After discussion at the Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday 11th November, it was decided to oppose the application for numerous reasons, including:

  • The light could impact residents living on or near The Grove

  • It would be a distraction for vehicles driving along The Grove, which also has a heavy pedestrian presence and could therefore potentially be very dangerous

  • It would be visually discordant, detracting from the beautiful period features of this Victorian spa town

  • It would risk becoming additional visual clutter on The Grove

  • It would be contrary to the Ilkley Neighbourhood Development Plan, which promotes and encourages new development to be sympathetic to the conservation area and Ilkley’s historic environment. Policy INDP18 details how any changes to the public realm need to ‘make a positive contribution to the immediate local and wider town environment and experience’.

(A photomontage of the proposed BT street hub [Photo: BT])

Jane Gibson, Ilkley Town Mayor and Chair of the Planning Committee said:

“We want any developments to help Ilkley to thrive. This proposal is against everything that Ilkley is about. It doesn't benefit the town and will be discordant and unsightly. That is why we are objecting in the strongest possible terms and asking Bradford Council to refuse the application.”

Bradford Council’s conservation officer has concluded the street hub would cause visual harm to the conservation area, contrary to section 215 of the NPPF, and is not balanced by any appreciable public benefit.

Ilkley Civic Society has also said it has considerable concerns with both the removal of the facility to make calls without a mobile phone and the negative impact of the proposed ‘BT street hub’, saying in its objection:

"Despite the belief by many organisations public and private that the whole population has a smart phone, that is not the case. Accepted a much smaller proportion but nevertheless considerable proportion of the population still rely on the use of copper wire telecoms communication."

The application can be viewed and commented on at planning.bradford.gov.uk - Ref: 25/03739/FUL.

For more information about Ilkley Town Council’s Planning Committee, please see the Ilkley Town Council website: Planning Committee | Ilkley Town Council.

In addition, if you would like to join the Planning Committee as a voluntary member, please apply before November 26th: Ilkley Town Council invites volunteers to join its Planning Committee | Ilkley Town Council

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