A rash of 'telecommunication broadband cabinets' are planned by Openreach for pavements across Broughton and elsewhere in the capital. They measure a whopping 1408mm x 750mm x 407mm and will be painted green. Local sites and reference numbers are listed below.
These new elements of street clutter may be necessary, but must they really be so enormous and all so green?
Agents have, at least, respected the Planning process before installing them (unlike Virgin Media – see Breaking news 26.5.11), and seem at pains to position them where they would cause least disruption in terms of access and sight-lines. However, Spurtle urges residents affected to inspect the proposed siting and remaining footpath clearance arrangements extremely carefully.
Cabinets are proposed close to:
- 10 Gayfield Street (Ref. 11/02471/FUL)
- 61 Dublin Street (Ref. 11/02474/FUL)
- 41 Cumberland Street (Ref. 11/02480/FUL)
- 35 Cumberland Street (Ref. 11/02493/FUL)
- 6 Broughton Street (Ref. 11/02463/FUL)
- 36 East Claremont Street (Ref. 11/02475/FUL)
- 70 East Claremont Street (Ref. 11/02476/FUL)
- 14 Eyre Place (Ref. 11/02466/FUL).
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Vodafone and 02's application to attach 4 antennae to the Category A listed Royal Scots Club at 30 Abecromby Place has been refused (Ref. 11/02122/FUL). The equipment would have been contained within shrouds, painted out to match existing stonework on the chimneys. One letter of objection was received, citing health fears over likely levels of electromagnetic radiation.
City Planners were content that the proposal would not be a health risk. However, they felt the the form and position of the shrouds would adversely affect the skyline and roofscape of the New Town Conservation Area and the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The shrouds would 'neither preserve nor enhance the character' of these areas. A similar but separate application was refused in November last year (Ref. 10/02731/FUL).
In the report, the decision was explained as follows:
Whilst the applicant has endeavoured to reduce the impact on the chimney profiles since the last refusal, by placing the shrouds on the side of the chimneys rather than on the ends, to negate the effect along the street, the proposals will still bulk up the width as seen directly from the street, which is equally unacceptable.
Despite the lack of alternative sites, the proposals are unacceptable and will adversely impact on the building, on the character and appearance of the conservation area and the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, by altering the skyline as seen from the street and by altering the roofscape as seen from the air.
It seems surprising that similar considerations were not deemed sufficient to prevent the recent siting of ugly telecommunications equipment on the roof of Centrum House in Dundas Street (Breaking news 28.3.11).
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Edinburgh-based Southside Meadows Ltd have plans for part of a garden in the New Town (Ref. 11/02306/FUL). Confusingly, though, they do not seek permission to plant a meadow, but rather aim to erect a 2-bedroom mews dwelling on 3 levels (basement/ground/first) behind 4A Fettes Row, fronting Cumberland Street Lane NE.
Squeezed between 2 other new modern mews developments there, external building materials would include 'natural stone and render' for the walls, 'natural slate' for the roof, and timber for the windows/doors. Nevertheless, some locals may resent so many natural materials replacing grass, flowers, trees and butterflies.