Plans for a hi-tech monolith on North Parade have been refused as it would would 'spoil the street's heritage'

BT is currently in the process of replacing many of its phone boxes in the city centre with Inlink hubs - which will allow the public to charge their phones, access council services, use WiFi and make phone calls.

In recent days the Council has approved a number of these new devices, which will each replace two existing phone boxes.

But planning officers have refused BT’s application for one of these Inlink units - on North Parade.

The communications giant had hoped to install the hub, which features large, illuminated screens, on the pavement outside Boyes.

But heritage officers raised concerns about how the modern piece of technology would look on the street, which features some of Bradford’s grandest buildings.

North Parade is also one of the streets that Bradford Council is hoping to return to its former glory through a £2 million lottery grant to restore heritage buildings.

The North Parade hub would have replaced two phone boxes on Great Horton Road.

Bradford Council Heritage Officer Jon Ackroyd said of the North Parade Inlink plan: “The location presently has very little street furniture detracting from the streetscape.

“The site is adjacent to distinctive buildings of heritage significance and in a location considered have strong conservation area character.

“Across the street are a number of listed buildings. The locality is also host to a Townscape Heritage Initiative grant for the regeneration of historic buildings and townscape. The proposed installation on this site is regarded as introducing detrimental streetscape clutter and causing harm to the conservation area environment.”

He said BT’s plans would not provide enough public benefit to offset the damage to the street’s heritage.

However, BT have been granted permission to install the Inlink units at several other locations in the city centre, including on Westgate, at the junction of Darley Street and Godwin Street, Bank Street, Manningham Lane and outside the National Science and Media Museum.

BT’s applications said: “At no cost to taxpayers or end users, InLinks provide communities with an unprecedented suite of essential urban tools, including free ultrafast Wi-Fi, phone calls, wayfinding, device charging, an emergency 999 call button, public messaging capabilities, and a platform for interactive technologies on the streets such as air quality monitoring.

“It has the ability to promote the image of the Bradford as a vibrant place and we believe it will improve the quality of the immediate streetscape for residents, businesses and visitors.”