Planning applications have been submitted for the installation of advertising “hubs” in six locations across the city centre.
The big grey units are 2.6 metres high. They include a number of useful features, including touch screens. They provide free wifi and enable free calls to landlines and the facility to charge mobile phones. They will also have a 32 inch touchscreens with information about the city.
A larger 86 inch screen on the back of the unit would host mainly adverts which would pay for the free network. This would have some time reserved for community uses but would mostly be commercial messages.
The hub also has “potential functions” that are being tried out in other cities, like air quality sensors, ways to monitor flows of walkers and CCTV cameras. And each one would have a defibrillator, instructions on how to use it and local training organised by a charity.
The unit has “antivandal” glass plus a treatment to make sure stickers and paint can easily be removed, according to details. On police advice, some units in “known problem areas” will have more limits on how they can be used.
If the council approves the units they will go mainly in the city’s shopping areas – Market Way, Upper Precinct, Cross Cheaping and Trinity Street – plus the Richard Crossman Building by the main Coventry University campus.