Network of swanky new payphone boxs planned for Preston ft defibrillators & interactive public info screen

Plans have been submitted for a new multifunctional payphone box in Preston City Centre.

Last week, Preston City Council received an application seeking to install “one new communications kiosk with an integrated defibrillator and advertising display” on land opposite 243 North Road, PR1 1RU.

If approved, the kiosk will provide a range of services, including telephony, wayfinding, a defibrillator and digital advertising “thereby supporting both public utility and local economic activity” according to the applicant, New World Payphones.

More so than that however, the planning application reveals that the North Road kiosk is just one of numerous planned across the city, the other proposed sites being on land on Friargate at PR1 2EJ, outside 81 Fishergate at PR1 2UH, outside 10 Church Street at PR1 3BQ and elsewhere on the A6 on Stanley Street at PR1 4AT.

The plan drawings show that the kiosks will be recognisable as telephone boxes, but they will have an open access design.

The applicant says the open plan design will allow for improved inclusivity and accessiblity, as all users can access the services, as well as safety, hopefuly eradicating the anti-social beahviour sometimes associated with kiosks.

The curved canopy roof will feature defibrillator and telephone signage, underneath which will be an interior courtesy light.

Enclosed by a singular side window panel is then the kiosk’s facililities: a telephone, which accepts card; defibrillator; instructions panel and a touch screen interactive wayfinding public information screen.

This interactive display wll feature a local area map with points of interest; points of interest information cards such as address, opening hours, contact information; emergency numbers; a help button for support services including for abuse and addiction; an accessibility button and phone instructions.

In the planning statement, New World Payphone state: “Public call boxes are more than just a convenience —they are a lifeline for those who need the most. In communities where mobile coverage is unreliable or where individuals cannot afford amobile phone, these kiosks provide essential access to friends, fam ily, helplines, and emergencyservices.

“By upgrading to modern communication kiosks, we are creating inclusive, multi -functional hubsthat serve everyone —especially the most vulnerable. These kiosks will provide:

“• Reliable emergency access for those without mobile connectivity.

“• Wayfinding and local information to support residents and visitors.

“• Free calls to emergency services and charities, ensuring help is always within reach.

“Beyond connectivity, these kiosks contribute to safer, more vibrant streets. Their open designpromotes natural surveillance, reducing anti - social behaviour, while integrated technology supports local businesses and community messaging. Each installation a lso includes a commitmentto environmental improvement: for every kiosk installed, a tree will be planted in partnershipw ith Trees for Cities, helping to create greener, healthier urban spaces.

“This initiative is about more than infrastructure , it’s about strengthening communities, improvingsafety, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age”.

Various conditions are also suggested by the applicant regarding the advertisement proposal, including that:

• The display of the advertisement(s) shall be permitted for a period of five years from the date of this descion
• No advertisement is to be displayed without the permission of the owner of the site or anyother person with an interest in the site entitled to grant permission.
• No advertisement shall be sited or displayed so as to —(a) endanger persons using any highway, railway, waterway, dock, harbour or aerodrome (civil ormilitary); (b)obscure, or hinder the ready interpretation of, any traffic sign, railway signal or aid to navigation by water or air; or(c) hinder the operation of any device used for the purpose of security or surveillance or for measuring the speed of any vehicle.
• Any advertisement displayed, and any site used for the display of advertisements, shall bemaintained in a condition that does not impair the visual amenity of the site.
• Any structure or hoarding erected or used principally for the purpose of displaying advertisements shall be maintained in a condition that does not endanger the public.
• Where an advertisement is required under these Regulations to be removed, the site shallbe left in a condition that does not endanger the public or impair visual amenity.
• There shall be no moving images, animation, video or full motion images displayed unless otherwise permitted by this consent.
• In the hours of darkness, the advertisement display luminance shall be no greater than 300cd/m2 in accordance with the recommended maximum night - time luminance value set out by the Institution of Lighting Professionals - Professional Lighting Guide (PLG05) 'Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements including Digital Displays'
• In daylight hours, the advertisement display luminance shall be controlled in order to reflect ambient light conditions (to ensure it is neither too bright or too dull), and shall at all times be nogreater than the recommended maximum daytime luminanc e values set out within the aforementioned guide
• Unless otherwise permitted, the minimum display time for each advertisement shall be 10seconds and the advertisement shall not include any features which would result in interactive messages / advertisements being displayed.
• The interval between successive advertisements shall be no greater than 1 second and thecomplete display shall change without effect. The display to include a mechanism to default toa blank or black screen in the event of malfunction, or if the adver tisement is not in use.

You can read the full application for the North Road kiosk here. A second application, soley involving the digital advertisement display, is also available here.

It does not appear that planning applications for the other four kiosks mentioned have yet been submitted.

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