An application ha been submitted for a BT advertising Street Hub unit on Wells Road, Totterdown, close to the junction with St John’s Lane.
| 25/10665/A | Link | Land Adjacent 101-106 Wells Road Totterdown Bristol BS4 2BS |
The proposed unit is similar to previous BT Street Hub units which have been refused permission by Bristol City Council. The same reasons for refusal should apply to this application. The Council indicated:
“The illuminated advertisement screens, by virtue of their excessive scale, prominent siting, form, nature and extent of illumination, would appear as an alien, prominent and intrusive element within the streetscene… The proposed advertisements would not preserve or enhance/improve the public realm and would fail to contribute to a safe, attractive, high quality, inclusive and legible public realm that contributes positively to local character and identity.”
Because of the prevalence of mobile phones, the demand for static communication terminals is negligible. Their use is affected by lack of shelter and privacy for the user, and by adjacent road noise. The excessive size of the proposed street hub is due to the advertising potential, since the communication functionality could be provided on a much smaller unit.
PUBLIC SAFETY. The siting is at a busy road junction on a major road, the junction of Wells Road and St John’s Lane, where pedestrians are also directed to cross the road. By definition, the aim of the advertising is to distract the attention of both drivers and pedestrians with the potential to undermine safety.
VISUAL IMPACT. The proposed site is next to a valued green space (Bushy Park green space) which has been improved through cooperation between Bristol City Council and the local community. The excessive size and advertising function of the Street Hub will have a visually jarring impact beside the nature-friendly planting. Furthermore, the proposed site is in front of one of the most attractive Victorian buildings in Totterdown. The building, erected in 1900, survived the demolition of the 1960-70s and is an important feature of the area. The proposed advertising monolith will have a detrimental impact on the setting of the building that makes an important contribution to local character.
I object to the proposed illuminated sign on the grounds that it is an unnecessary intrusion and will have a detrimental visual impact on the area. It would have a negative impact on Bushy Park which is a valued public space.
I object to this under the grounds of public safety – the clear and transparent aim of advertising is to attract the attention of both drivers and pedestrians and therefore there is significant likelihood of increased risk to all road users.
I also believe the visual impact will be significant and detrimental.
It’s also the “thin end of the wedge” and would set precedent.
I object on the grounds of public safety and blocking green space
The Wells Road has a number of distracting elements, which coupled with large commercial vehicles, commuter impatience leading to highway code/road violations (including running red lights and blocking box Junction), and the close proximity of pedestrians/cyclists/motorists makes this a dangerous location to site a further distracting element. I strongly object to the siting of a large advertising street hub in this location – the purpose of advertising is to attract attention – far too dangerous a proposition and not needed by residents.
I strongly object to this proposal. The advertising unit would be sited on a very busy junction where drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders already have to quickly take in a lot of information to negotiate safely. This proposal would add an ugly, unnecessary and dangerous distraction. It would be of no benefit to the local community and spoil the already challenged public realm of our neighbourhood.
I strongly object to this proposal. It would be a huge, ugly and dangerous distraction at a very busy junction where both drivers and pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders already have to quickly take in a lot of information to ensure safe negotiation. It is totally out of keeping with the attractive building behind, brings no benefit whatsoever to the local community, and would have a purely negative impact on our public realm.
I strongly object to this planning application on the grounds of public safety and the negative visual impact on this green space in front of what is currently a very attractive Totterdown building. It is on a very busy junction where both drivers and pedestrians have to quickly take in a lot of information so any additional visual distraction will be very detrimental to safety.
I object to the idea because of the distraction to drivers and cyclists and the green space has a lot of animal life which does not need the light.
The proposed unit of this very large and designed to distract drivers attention, this alone presents a potential safety hazard. By situating the sign by a pedestrian crossing on the very busy main road, a key route into Bristol, exacerbates that potential.
The size of the proposed unit will dwarf the much-loved (Bushy Park) green space that has been developed through collaboration with Bristol City Council and local residents. That green space is a small area that survived the demolition of Totterdown in the 1960s and 70s. In addition, the proposed sign is in front of one of the surviving Victorian buildings that add character to our area; the sign will be detrimental to this feature of our area.
I object to the proposal on the grounds of the detrimental visual impact and public safety.
Oh no not again. We, the residents of Totterdown do not want to have this intrusion in our green space.
It will effect night time wildlife who desperately need black out for feeding and resting.
Surely you BT must have knowledge of protecting our wildlife which is abundant in Totterdown.
Driver safety must be protected too. No distraction to their vision and concentration. BT you don’t live here.
Leave our space alone.
Absolutely not! We’re bombarded everywhere we go with advertising and what we need is better services and to stop interfering with local neighbourhoods that have evolved and adapted to meet the needs of their communities. As for the debacle of ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’ – we already have them – and now the government wants to waste millions imposing new, unliveable restrictions on people going about their lives. Please can that money go towards helping those in need and just leave our communities alone!
Absolutely unnecessary & blocks the view of one of the last remaining historic buildings in that area.
I strongly object to the proposal for a BT advertising Street Hub unit on Wells Road, Totterdown for all the reasons listed above.