High street defibrillator kiosk rejected by council

Plans to install a communications kiosk, advertising screen and defibrillator in a Surrey town centre have been refused over concerns it would harm the character of the area.

The proposals would have seen the 2.63m (8.63 ft) tall structure placed on the pavement of Epsom High Street, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The unit would have offered free calls to landlines, free Wi-Fi and interactive wayfinding, plus an emergency defibrillator. One side of the unit would have featured an LED advertising display.

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said it would "create additional street clutter" and it had received 14 similar applications in the past 18 months.

The design was met with pushback from a number of residents, with several complaining about its potential impact on the high street conservation area.

One "frequent visitor" to the town wrote an objection to the advertising content, calling it "ugly, obstructive and unnecessary".

In its refusal, the council's planning officers said the kiosk "would create additional street clutter" and "would be excessive and out of character within the street scene".

The officers also noted in their report that the council has received 14 similar applications in the past 18 months.

"If each proposal were to be granted approval, the council would have an excess of public payphones and defibrillators, notwithstanding facilities already in existence in the surrounding area," they wrote.

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